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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 120 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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Word bank
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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: can · mate · key · race · arm · chip · lie · pop

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. pop — to visit
  3. pop — music
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. mate — a friend
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. race — the arms race
  8. lie — to recline
  9. race — humankind
  10. can — to be able to
  11. key — in music
  12. key — the most important part
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. mate — to breed
  16. pop — soda
  17. race — a contest
  18. mate — a partner
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. can — a tin
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. key — for a lock
  23. chip — for betting
  24. chip — to eat

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