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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 116 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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. current — happening now
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. season — in sport
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. race — the arms race
  9. track — a song
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. season — of the year
  12. stem — to come from
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. current — of water
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. race — humankind
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. track — a path
  19. track — to keep track
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. current — electric
  22. band — a ring
  23. pass — a permit
  24. band — a music group

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