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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. net — in sport
  3. net — for catching
  4. season — in sport
  5. current — happening now
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. current — of water
  10. race — the arms race
  11. season — of the year
  12. race — a contest
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. stand — to bear
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. net — after costs
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. race — humankind
  19. spell — letters
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. spell — magic
  23. current — electric
  24. spell — a short time

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