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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. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. chip — for betting
  3. chip — to eat
  4. race — the arms race
  5. wake — a trail
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. race — a contest
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. race — humankind
  11. ground — crushed
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. firm — a company
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. ground — the earth
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. wind — moving air
  19. ground — a position
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. wind — moving air
  22. firm — decided
  23. firm — steady
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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