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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. current — of water
  3. race — the arms race
  4. track — a path
  5. current — electric
  6. object — to protest
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. race — humankind
  10. chair — a leader
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. track — a song
  13. race — a contest
  14. object — an aim
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. object — a thing
  17. branch — a division
  18. current — happening now

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