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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. bound — obliged
  3. roll — a cake
  4. current — happening now
  5. club — for golf
  6. race — a contest
  7. club — for dancing
  8. roll — a list
  9. club — a group
  10. rule — government
  11. race — humankind
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. bound — certain
  14. rule — a law
  15. race — the arms race
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bound — tied together
  19. land — a country
  20. bulb — for light
  21. current — electric
  22. land — to come down
  23. land — ground
  24. rule — to rule out

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