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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 120 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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. race — humankind
  4. race — a contest
  5. rule — a law
  6. kid — to tease
  7. wake — a trail
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. firm — decided
  12. kid — child
  13. mark — a trace
  14. firm — steady
  15. mark — a grade
  16. chip — for betting
  17. chip — to eat
  18. rule — government
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. key — in music
  21. key — the most important part
  22. race — the arms race
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. key — for a lock

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