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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. club — for golf
  4. last — finally
  5. mug — a cup
  6. race — humankind
  7. race — the arms race
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. club — for dancing
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. last — final
  13. last — to go on
  14. club — a group
  15. craft — a skill
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. craft — boats
  18. mug — to rob
  19. mug — a face
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. current — happening now
  23. current — of water
  24. race — a contest

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