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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. firm — decided
  3. drill — a practice
  4. firm — steady
  5. fine — high quality
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. current — of water
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. fine — all right
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. drill — army training
  15. ball — a dance
  16. kid — to tease
  17. race — a contest
  18. drill — the tool
  19. current — happening now
  20. kid — child
  21. firm — a company
  22. race — the arms race
  23. ball — a great time
  24. race — humankind

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