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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. current — of water
  3. race — the arms race
  4. chip — for betting
  5. ball — a dance
  6. race — a contest
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. band — a music group
  9. current — electric
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. mark — a grade
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. chip — to eat
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. race — humankind
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. band — a ring
  19. last — final
  20. last — to go on
  21. mark — a trace
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. ball — a great time
  24. current — happening now

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