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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. current — happening now
  3. race — humankind
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. snap — to click
  6. shower — to wash
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. race — a contest
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. net — after costs
  11. shower — rain
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. bass — the fish
  14. net — in sport
  15. current — of water
  16. race — the arms race
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. roll — a list
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. current — electric
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. bass — low music
  24. roll — a cake

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