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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 116 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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  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. racket — a loud noise
  2. current — of water
  3. current — electric
  4. season — in sport
  5. race — a contest
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. current — happening now
  11. craft — boats
  12. stand — to bear
  13. spell — magic
  14. spell — letters
  15. craft — a skill
  16. season — of the year
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. pound — a weight
  20. race — humankind
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. spell — a short time
  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