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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. net — after costs
  3. ball — a great time
  4. current — electric
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. net — in sport
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. net — for catching
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. mug — a face
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. mug — to rob
  14. current — happening now
  15. pass — a permit
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. stand — to bear
  18. mug — a cup
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. race — humankind
  21. race — the arms race
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. race — a contest
  24. current — of water

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