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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 116 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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. mark — a trace
  3. race — humankind
  4. race — a contest
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. deal — to handle
  8. board — to get on
  9. last — final
  10. mark — a grade
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. race — the arms race
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. board — a committee
  17. current — happening now
  18. current — of water
  19. last — finally
  20. current — electric
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. last — to go on
  24. deal — an agreement

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