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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. hand — help
  3. file — a line of people
  4. pitch — completely
  5. race — a contest
  6. current — electric
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. file — a document
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. hand — in cards
  12. file — a tool
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. race — the arms race
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. current — happening now
  18. pit — in a race
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. current — of water
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. race — humankind
  24. pit — a hole

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