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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: nail · rock · deal · race · pop · current · mug · clip

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. mug — a face
  3. race — a contest
  4. clip — to cut
  5. pop — soda
  6. race — humankind
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. clip — a video
  9. current — of water
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. rock — a stone
  12. mug — a cup
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. rock — music
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. mug — to rob
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. pop — music
  19. current — electric
  20. current — happening now
  21. pop — to visit
  22. clip — for paper
  23. deal — to handle
  24. race — the arms race

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