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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. spring — of water
  4. race — the arms race
  5. current — of water
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. current — happening now
  8. bear — the animal
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. bass — the fish
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. race — a contest
  15. bass — low music
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. spring — a coil
  18. spring — the season
  19. pitch — completely
  20. bear — the animal
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. current — electric
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. race — humankind

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