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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. game — wild animals
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. race — the arms race
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. race — a contest
  8. chip — to eat
  9. ground — a position
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. ground — the earth
  14. race — humankind
  15. march — music
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. march — the month
  18. rule — a law
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. march — the month
  21. game — a match
  22. ground — crushed
  23. rule — government
  24. chip — for betting

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