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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 captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. current — electric
  3. current — of water
  4. swing — in golf
  5. race — humankind
  6. swing — music
  7. swing — to play on
  8. pit — a hole
  9. fine — high quality
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. race — a contest
  12. pitch — completely
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. rush — hurry
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. board — a committee
  19. fine — all right
  20. race — the arms race
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. pit — in a race
  23. current — happening now
  24. fine — a penalty

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