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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. rock — music
  4. race — a contest
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. current — electric
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. race — the arms race
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. current — of water
  17. current — happening now
  18. bulb — for light
  19. rock — a stone
  20. race — humankind
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. bulb — for light
  23. pitch — completely
  24. safe — out of danger

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