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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. stock — shares
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. race — humankind
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. staff — employees
  7. race — the arms race
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. current — happening now
  10. band — a music group
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. staff — employees
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. current — electric
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. stock — goods
  17. chair — a leader
  18. staff — a stick
  19. last — final
  20. race — a contest
  21. current — of water
  22. last — to go on
  23. band — a ring
  24. ruler — a monarch

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