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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 120 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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Word bank
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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 · firm · cell · current · mate · tube

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. tube — a container
  3. race — a contest
  4. race — humankind
  5. current — electric
  6. mate — a friend
  7. current — of water
  8. firm — a company
  9. current — happening now
  10. firm — decided
  11. race — the arms race
  12. tube — the underground
  13. firm — steady
  14. cell — in biology
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. mate — a partner
  17. mate — to breed
  18. cell — a phone

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