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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. race — a contest
  3. game — a match
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. land — a country
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. race — humankind
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. pitch — completely
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. mug — a cup
  12. land — ground
  13. mug — to rob
  14. land — to come down
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. deal — to handle
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. game — wild animals
  20. craft — a skill
  21. rule — government
  22. race — the arms race
  23. craft — boats
  24. mug — a face

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