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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. race — a contest
  4. drill — the tool
  5. race — the arms race
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. race — humankind
  8. mate — a partner
  9. prune — to trim
  10. current — happening now
  11. cell — a phone
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. current — of water
  15. mate — a friend
  16. drill — a practice
  17. prune — to trim
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. mate — to breed
  21. current — electric
  22. cell — in biology
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. drill — army training

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