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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 116 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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. game — wild animals
  3. current — of water
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. pit — in a race
  6. firm — steady
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. branch — a division
  9. race — a contest
  10. fall — to drop
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. race — the arms race
  13. fall — to drop
  14. race — humankind
  15. firm — a company
  16. mate — a friend
  17. mate — a partner
  18. game — a match
  19. pit — a hole
  20. firm — decided
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. fall — the season
  23. current — happening now
  24. current — electric

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