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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. current — of water
  3. club — for golf
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. race — a contest
  6. last — to go on
  7. race — humankind
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. last — final
  11. club — for dancing
  12. current — electric
  13. last — finally
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. current — happening now
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. rush — hurry
  19. deal — to handle
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. club — a group
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. stand — to bear

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