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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. swing — music
  4. cue — a signal
  5. race — the arms race
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. race — a contest
  8. cue — a hint
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. stem — to come from
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. cap — of ice
  15. swing — in golf
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. chip — for betting
  18. cue — for pool
  19. cap — a hat
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. chip — to eat
  22. cap — a lid
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. swing — to play on

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