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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. cap — a hat
  3. race — the arms race
  4. cap — a lid
  5. cue — a hint
  6. current — electric
  7. charge — electricity
  8. bound — certain
  9. bound — tied together
  10. cue — for pool
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. stem — to come from
  13. cue — a signal
  14. race — a contest
  15. current — of water
  16. cap — of ice
  17. race — humankind
  18. charge — in control
  19. club — for golf
  20. charge — a price
  21. bound — obliged
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. current — happening now
  24. club — a group

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