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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. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. rule — a law
  4. race — humankind
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. net — after costs
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. date — the fruit
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. chip — for betting
  13. cue — for pool
  14. chip — to eat
  15. game — wild animals
  16. race — the arms race
  17. net — for catching
  18. rule — government
  19. cue — a hint
  20. race — a contest
  21. game — a match
  22. cue — a signal
  23. net — in sport
  24. game — a kind of play

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