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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. race — a contest
  4. bulb — for light
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. can — a tin
  7. race — the arms race
  8. staff — employees
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. staff — a stick
  11. current — electric
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. staff — employees
  14. bulb — for light
  15. current — of water
  16. can — a tin
  17. rock — a stone
  18. current — happening now
  19. race — humankind
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. can — to be able to
  22. rock — music
  23. sharp — clever
  24. mine — belonging to me

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