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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. object — to protest
  3. object — an aim
  4. object — a thing
  5. race — humankind
  6. ball — a dance
  7. rest — what's left
  8. ball — a great time
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. rest — what's left
  12. chip — for betting
  13. race — a contest
  14. ground — crushed
  15. cue — a signal
  16. rest — a break
  17. ground — a position
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. race — the arms race
  20. cue — for pool
  21. ground — the earth
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. cue — a hint
  24. ball — a round shape

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