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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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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. current — of water
  4. race — humankind
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. race — the arms race
  7. bat — the animal
  8. cap — of ice
  9. field — farmland
  10. ball — a dance
  11. key — for a lock
  12. cap — a lid
  13. current — happening now
  14. cap — a hat
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. ball — a great time
  18. field — a subject
  19. current — electric
  20. key — in music
  21. key — the most important part
  22. field — for sport
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. wave — with your hand

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