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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. race — a contest
  3. file — a document
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. object — a thing
  6. race — humankind
  7. current — happening now
  8. rule — government
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. pop — soda
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. current — electric
  13. object — an aim
  14. rule — a law
  15. pop — music
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. ball — a great time
  18. ball — a dance
  19. pop — to visit
  20. race — the arms race
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. file — a tool
  23. current — of water
  24. object — to protest

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