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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  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. land — ground
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. race — a contest
  5. race — the arms race
  6. chair — a leader
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. bat — the animal
  10. land — to come down
  11. bank — of a river
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. current — happening now
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. bank — for money
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. race — humankind
  19. bank — for money
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. current — electric
  23. land — a country
  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