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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 116 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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. bound — certain
  3. object — a thing
  4. chip — to eat
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. race — the arms race
  7. rest — what's left
  8. fall — to drop
  9. cap — of ice
  10. object — to protest
  11. chip — for betting
  12. pop — to visit
  13. pop — soda
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rest — a break
  16. race — a contest
  17. bound — obliged
  18. fall — to drop
  19. cap — a hat
  20. fall — the season
  21. bound — tied together
  22. cap — a lid
  23. object — an aim
  24. race — humankind

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