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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. mug — a face
  3. current — electric
  4. present — a gift
  5. game — a match
  6. can — a tin
  7. current — of water
  8. game — wild animals
  9. can — a tin
  10. mark — a trace
  11. mark — a grade
  12. can — to be able to
  13. current — happening now
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. race — the arms race
  16. mug — to rob
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. capital — money
  19. mug — a cup
  20. present — there
  21. capital — a city
  22. race — a contest
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. present — the time 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