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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. cold — an illness
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. game — wild animals
  5. race — a contest
  6. bank — for money
  7. bank — for money
  8. fine — high quality
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. chip — for betting
  12. swing — music
  13. bank — of a river
  14. chip — to eat
  15. fine — all right
  16. race — the arms race
  17. race — humankind
  18. game — a match
  19. swing — to play on
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. swing — in golf
  22. cold — not warm
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. cold — the Cold War

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