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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. current — electric
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. current — happening now
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. race — the arms race
  8. game — a match
  9. bass — low music
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. race — a contest
  14. chair — a leader
  15. bass — the fish
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. game — wild animals
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. race — humankind
  21. current — of water
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. stand — to bear
  24. pitcher — a jug

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