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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  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. race — humankind
  2. wind — moving air
  3. race — a contest
  4. bound — certain
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. land — a country
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. rule — government
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. stock — goods
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. mug — a cup
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. bound — obliged
  16. stock — shares
  17. wind — moving air
  18. bound — tied together
  19. land — to come down
  20. race — the arms race
  21. mug — a face
  22. rule — a law
  23. mug — to rob
  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