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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. rush — hurry
  4. row — a line
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. court — of law
  9. court — for sport
  10. rock — a stone
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. hand — in cards
  14. row — to paddle
  15. race — a contest
  16. rock — music
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. hand — help
  19. race — humankind
  20. chip — for betting
  21. court — of a king
  22. race — the arms race
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. chip — to eat

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