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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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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: mouse · ruler · bank · land · pitch · current · rest · race

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. land — ground
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. bank — for money
  6. current — electric
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. land — to come down
  9. rest — what's left
  10. bank — of a river
  11. rest — what's left
  12. race — the arms race
  13. race — a contest
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. rest — a break
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. bank — for money
  18. current — of water
  19. land — a country
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. pitch — completely
  22. current — happening now
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. pitch — a sports field

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