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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 120 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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. current — happening now
  3. mate — a friend
  4. charge — electricity
  5. mate — to breed
  6. charge — in control
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. capital — a city
  11. rash — a series
  12. game — a match
  13. race — humankind
  14. current — electric
  15. charge — a price
  16. current — of water
  17. capital — money
  18. mate — a partner
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. race — a contest
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. race — the arms race
  23. game — wild animals
  24. game — a kind of play

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