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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. current — electric
  4. race — the arms race
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. race — a contest
  8. swing — to play on
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. board — a committee
  12. race — humankind
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. wind — moving air
  15. bat — the animal
  16. wind — moving air
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. current — happening now
  20. board — to get on
  21. swing — music
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. swing — in golf

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