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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 116 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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. mug — a face
  3. race — the arms race
  4. staff — employees
  5. mug — to rob
  6. chip — for betting
  7. land — to come down
  8. pop — to visit
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. staff — a stick
  11. pop — music
  12. land — a country
  13. race — a contest
  14. chip — to eat
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. staff — employees
  20. snap — to click
  21. mug — a cup
  22. pop — soda
  23. race — humankind
  24. land — ground

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