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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  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. race — a contest
  2. board — a committee
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. object — to protest
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. current — of water
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. current — happening now
  10. present — the time now
  11. can — a tin
  12. board — to get on
  13. object — an aim
  14. can — a tin
  15. object — a thing
  16. shower — rain
  17. present — there
  18. current — electric
  19. shower — to wash
  20. can — to be able to
  21. race — the arms race
  22. present — a gift
  23. sharp — clever
  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