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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. ground — the earth
  4. current — electric
  5. cue — a signal
  6. cue — for pool
  7. cue — a hint
  8. current — happening now
  9. spell — magic
  10. ground — crushed
  11. spell — a short time
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. file — a tool
  14. race — humankind
  15. tube — a container
  16. file — a line of people
  17. current — of water
  18. spell — letters
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. ground — a position
  21. tube — the underground
  22. file — a document
  23. race — a contest
  24. tube — in a tire

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