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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. current — happening now
  3. bank — of a river
  4. race — humankind
  5. toast — bread
  6. current — of water
  7. race — a contest
  8. bank — for money
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. chip — to eat
  11. current — electric
  12. rock — music
  13. chip — for betting
  14. race — the arms race
  15. bank — for money
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. rock — a stone
  18. chip — in a computer

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