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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. stand — to bear
  4. current — happening now
  5. race — a contest
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. court — of law
  8. sharp — clever
  9. cap — of ice
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. track — a song
  13. track — to keep track
  14. court — for sport
  15. cap — a lid
  16. court — of a king
  17. race — the arms race
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. cap — a hat
  20. race — humankind
  21. shower — to wash
  22. track — a path
  23. current — electric
  24. shower — rain

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