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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. file — a document
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. mate — a friend
  5. mate — a partner
  6. file — a line of people
  7. current — happening now
  8. current — of water
  9. stand — to bear
  10. race — the arms race
  11. current — electric
  12. mate — to breed
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. race — humankind
  15. file — a tool
  16. ground — the earth
  17. ground — crushed
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. mark — a trace
  20. ground — a position
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. mark — a grade
  24. stand — for spectators

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