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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 120 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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. object — a thing
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. race — the arms race
  5. drill — army training
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. object — an aim
  12. pass — a permit
  13. race — humankind
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. current — of water
  16. net — in sport
  17. race — a contest
  18. current — happening now
  19. net — for catching
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. object — to protest
  22. net — after costs
  23. drill — the tool
  24. drill — a practice

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