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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. race — humankind
  4. current — electric
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. race — a contest
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. chest — of your body
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. race — the arms race
  13. wound — an injury
  14. chest — of your body
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. chest — a box
  17. wound — an injury
  18. current — of water
  19. tube — the underground
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. tube — a container
  24. pitch — completely

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