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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. game — wild animals
  3. wind — moving air
  4. scale — size or range
  5. club — a group
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. race — a contest
  8. wind — moving air
  9. club — for dancing
  10. current — electric
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. race — humankind
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. club — for golf
  18. current — happening now
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. game — a match
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. current — of water
  24. race — the arms race

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