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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. cap — a hat
  3. pit — a hole
  4. spring — of water
  5. cap — a lid
  6. race — humankind
  7. pit — in a race
  8. bass — the fish
  9. current — of water
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. bass — low music
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. cap — of ice
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. spring — the season
  17. spring — a coil
  18. race — the arms race
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. stem — to come from
  22. current — electric
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. race — a contest

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