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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 116 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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. pit — a hole
  3. race — the arms race
  4. current — happening now
  5. current — of water
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. net — for catching
  9. scale — in music
  10. mate — to breed
  11. mate — a partner
  12. hand — in cards
  13. net — after costs
  14. march — the month
  15. march — the month
  16. current — electric
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. scale — size or range
  19. race — humankind
  20. march — music
  21. pit — in a race
  22. net — in sport
  23. mate — a friend
  24. hand — help

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