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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. chip — for betting
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. degree — temperature
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. bear — the animal
  8. race — humankind
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. rule — a law
  12. race — a contest
  13. snap — to click
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. rule — government
  17. chip — to eat
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. degree — an amount
  20. bear — the animal
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. race — the arms race
  23. pound — a weight
  24. degree — from a university

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