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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. race — the arms race
  3. land — ground
  4. land — a country
  5. rule — a law
  6. stock — goods
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. pop — to visit
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. land — to come down
  12. chip — to eat
  13. rule — government
  14. wound — an injury
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. wound — an injury
  17. chip — for betting
  18. race — a contest
  19. pop — soda
  20. cue — a hint
  21. cue — for pool
  22. pop — music
  23. stock — shares
  24. cue — a signal

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