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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. current — electric
  5. charge — a price
  6. file — a tool
  7. race — a contest
  8. charge — electricity
  9. current — happening now
  10. race — humankind
  11. rush — hurry
  12. current — of water
  13. charge — in control
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. race — the arms race
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. file — a line of people
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. file — a document

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