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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. fine — high quality
  3. current — happening now
  4. drill — a practice
  5. drill — army training
  6. hand — help
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. current — electric
  9. race — a contest
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. hand — in cards
  14. drill — the tool
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. race — humankind
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. cap — a hat
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. race — the arms race
  21. cap — of ice
  22. fine — all right
  23. pitch — completely
  24. current — of water

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