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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. chip — to eat
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. fine — all right
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. squash — the sport
  7. race — humankind
  8. chip — for betting
  9. squash — to crush
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. suit — clothes
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. suit — in cards
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. bat — the animal
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. game — wild animals
  19. race — the arms race
  20. fine — high quality
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. suit — to fit
  24. race — a contest

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