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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: race · wave · club · current · bay · mate

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. club — for golf
  3. mate — to breed
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. race — a contest
  6. race — humankind
  7. club — a group
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. current — of water
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. mate — a partner
  12. current — happening now
  13. club — for dancing
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. current — electric
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. race — the arms race
  18. bay — a part of the sea

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