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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. current — of water
  3. field — for sport
  4. key — in music
  5. current — electric
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. field — farmland
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. swing — in golf
  10. toast — bread
  11. plane — a tool
  12. key — the most important part
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. race — a contest
  16. race — the arms race
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. current — happening now
  19. swing — to play on
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. field — a subject
  22. key — for a lock
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. swing — music

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