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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. object — a thing
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. race — a contest
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. mine — for digging
  8. chip — for betting
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. sharp — clever
  11. race — humankind
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. object — to protest
  17. race — the arms race
  18. rash — hasty
  19. tube — a container
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. tube — the underground
  22. chip — to eat
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. object — an aim

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com