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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. race — a contest
  3. ground — the earth
  4. race — humankind
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. current — of water
  7. land — to come down
  8. current — happening now
  9. ground — a position
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. current — electric
  12. land — a country
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. plane — a tool
  16. race — the arms race
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. ground — crushed
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. land — ground
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. deal — to handle

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