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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. current — of water
  3. board — to get on
  4. race — the arms race
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. cell — a phone
  7. race — a contest
  8. land — ground
  9. current — electric
  10. current — happening now
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. land — a country
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. degree — an amount
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. degree — from a university
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. degree — temperature
  22. cell — in biology
  23. land — to come down
  24. board — a committee

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