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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. season — in sport
  4. spell — magic
  5. chip — to eat
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. race — the arms race
  8. spell — a short time
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. content — happy
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. chip — for betting
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. content — the amount
  16. spell — letters
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. season — of the year
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. pitch — completely
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. race — humankind

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