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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. swing — music
  4. current — of water
  5. mark — a grade
  6. swing — to play on
  7. race — a contest
  8. pass — a permit
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. race — the arms race
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. swing — in golf
  13. race — humankind
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. current — happening now
  18. current — electric
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. mark — a trace
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. cabinet — ministers

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