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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. race — humankind
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. pit — a hole
  5. pass — a permit
  6. race — a contest
  7. staff — employees
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. race — the arms race
  10. rest — a break
  11. pit — in a race
  12. hand — in cards
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. staff — a stick
  18. pound — a weight
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rest — what's left
  21. current — happening now
  22. hand — help
  23. staff — employees
  24. current — of water

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