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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. club — for dancing
  3. fine — all right
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. current — happening now
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. toast — bread
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. current — electric
  10. fine — high quality
  11. race — the arms race
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. clip — a video
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. bound — tied together
  16. current — of water
  17. club — for golf
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. bound — certain
  20. clip — for paper
  21. race — a contest
  22. bound — obliged
  23. club — a group
  24. clip — to cut

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