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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. current — electric
  3. swing — to play on
  4. race — humankind
  5. bank — for money
  6. swing — music
  7. cue — for pool
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. swing — in golf
  10. race — a contest
  11. court — for sport
  12. cue — a signal
  13. bank — of a river
  14. cell — a phone
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. court — of a king
  17. cell — in biology
  18. current — of water
  19. bank — for money
  20. rock — music
  21. court — of law
  22. rock — a stone
  23. current — happening now
  24. race — the arms race

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