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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 116 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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. march — music
  3. face — part of the head
  4. cue — for pool
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. race — the arms race
  7. march — the month
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. stock — shares
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. face — to confront
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. face — to point toward
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. march — the month
  19. stock — goods
  20. chip — for betting
  21. chip — to eat
  22. cue — a signal
  23. race — humankind
  24. cue — a hint

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