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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: kick · land · current · pit · lash · mark · bowl · race

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. mark — a grade
  3. current — happening now
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. pit — in a race
  10. race — humankind
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. land — to come down
  13. land — ground
  14. race — a contest
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. kick — in football
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. mark — a trace
  19. land — a country
  20. pit — a hole
  21. current — of water
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. current — electric
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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