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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. club — a group
  4. plane — a tool
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. race — humankind
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. club — for dancing
  11. race — a contest
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. cold — not warm
  14. current — electric
  15. current — of water
  16. club — for golf
  17. cold — an illness
  18. race — the arms race
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. game — wild animals
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. game — a match

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