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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. snap — to click
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. race — a contest
  5. press — newspapers
  6. can — to be able to
  7. press — to push
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. chip — to eat
  10. court — for sport
  11. can — a tin
  12. stock — shares
  13. court — of law
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. bore — to tire
  16. press — a publisher
  17. race — humankind
  18. chip — for betting
  19. bore — to drill
  20. can — a tin
  21. stock — goods
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. court — of a king

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