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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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. ball — a great time
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. present — there
  5. race — the arms race
  6. current — electric
  7. ground — crushed
  8. present — the time now
  9. ball — a dance
  10. current — of water
  11. present — a gift
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. ground — a position
  15. race — humankind
  16. saw — the tool
  17. mug — to rob
  18. roll — a cake
  19. race — a contest
  20. current — happening now
  21. mug — a face
  22. saw — the tool
  23. ground — the earth
  24. mug — a cup

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