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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. land — a country
  3. current — electric
  4. race — a contest
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. deal — to handle
  9. race — the arms race
  10. land — to come down
  11. race — humankind
  12. fine — all right
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. current — of water
  15. current — happening now
  16. bass — the fish
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. fine — high quality
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. lie — to recline
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. land — ground

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