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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. race — a contest
  4. race — humankind
  5. current — of water
  6. current — electric
  7. pit — a hole
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. race — the arms race
  11. chair — a leader
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. pit — in a race
  16. current — happening now
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. stand — to bear
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. sharp — clever
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. kick — a thrill

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