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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. current — of water
  5. current — happening now
  6. hand — help
  7. current — electric
  8. pop — soda
  9. pop — music
  10. field — a subject
  11. pass — a permit
  12. field — farmland
  13. field — for sport
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. race — a contest
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. branch — a division
  21. race — humankind
  22. hand — in cards
  23. pop — to visit
  24. nail — on a finger

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