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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. rest — what's left
  3. saw — the tool
  4. stand — to bear
  5. present — the time now
  6. race — the arms race
  7. rest — what's left
  8. race — a contest
  9. court — of law
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. rest — a break
  12. current — of water
  13. present — there
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. race — humankind
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. saw — the tool
  20. court — for sport
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. court — of a king
  23. current — happening now
  24. current — electric

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