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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. deal — to handle
  4. sharp — clever
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. land — a country
  7. chip — for betting
  8. ball — a great time
  9. race — a contest
  10. race — humankind
  11. land — ground
  12. land — to come down
  13. chip — to eat
  14. track — a song
  15. track — a path
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. track — to keep track
  18. bulb — for light
  19. ball — a dance
  20. bulb — for light
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. race — the arms race

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