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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  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. race — a contest
  2. march — music
  3. current — happening now
  4. firm — steady
  5. cell — in biology
  6. suit — clothes
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. march — the month
  9. suit — to fit
  10. rock — music
  11. march — the month
  12. current — electric
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. firm — a company
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. race — humankind
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. rock — a stone
  20. cell — a phone
  21. suit — in cards
  22. firm — decided
  23. current — of water
  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