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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 124 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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. mate — a friend
  3. race — a contest
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. kid — to tease
  6. charge — a price
  7. chip — for betting
  8. kid — child
  9. mate — to breed
  10. club — for golf
  11. club — a group
  12. mate — a partner
  13. charge — in control
  14. club — for dancing
  15. pass — a permit
  16. prune — to trim
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. race — the arms race
  21. charge — electricity
  22. prune — to trim
  23. chip — to eat
  24. chip — in a computer

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