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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. squash — the sport
  3. squash — to crush
  4. mug — a cup
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. race — a contest
  7. band — a music group
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. fine — all right
  11. race — humankind
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. cap — a hat
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. cap — of ice
  17. current — electric
  18. current — happening now
  19. mug — a face
  20. band — a ring
  21. race — the arms race
  22. mug — to rob
  23. cap — a lid
  24. current — of water

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