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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cabinet · toast · race · pound · chip · rule

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. race — humankind
  5. chip — to eat
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. rule — a law
  8. chip — for betting
  9. race — a contest
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. rule — government
  12. pound — a weight
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. toast — bread
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. race — the arms race

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