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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. scale — in music
  4. race — the arms race
  5. swing — to play on
  6. current — electric
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. current — happening now
  10. race — humankind
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. swing — music
  13. wax — to grow
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. current — of water
  16. scale — size or range
  17. bank — for money
  18. bank — for money
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. swing — in golf
  21. bank — of a river
  22. sharp — clever
  23. deal — to handle
  24. deal — a big deal

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