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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. race — humankind
  4. season — in sport
  5. current — electric
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. band — a ring
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. cue — a hint
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. race — a contest
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. race — the arms race
  16. cue — for pool
  17. sharp — clever
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. band — a music group
  21. season — of the year
  22. current — of water
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. cue — a signal

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