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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. ball — a dance
  3. current — electric
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. row — to paddle
  6. toast — bread
  7. stand — to bear
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. ball — a great time
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. current — happening now
  12. race — the arms race
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. field — a subject
  15. shower — rain
  16. row — a line
  17. field — for sport
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. shower — to wash
  20. field — farmland
  21. current — of water
  22. race — humankind
  23. race — a contest
  24. toast — the most admired

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