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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. rest — what's left
  3. spring — of water
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. rock — music
  6. spring — a coil
  7. fine — all right
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. current — happening now
  10. rock — a stone
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. spring — the season
  13. current — of water
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. rest — a break
  16. scale — in music
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. race — a contest
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. fine — high quality
  21. rest — what's left
  22. race — the arms race
  23. current — electric
  24. scale — size or range

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