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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. firm — decided
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. current — of water
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. chip — for betting
  8. race — humankind
  9. mate — a partner
  10. cap — a hat
  11. race — a contest
  12. current — happening now
  13. firm — steady
  14. mate — a friend
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. cap — of ice
  17. race — the arms race
  18. mate — to breed
  19. chip — to eat
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. cap — a lid
  24. firm — a company

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