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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: mug · wound · pitcher · race · pass · racket · current · can

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. current — electric
  6. can — to be able to
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. mug — to rob
  9. mug — a face
  10. race — humankind
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. wound — an injury
  14. can — a tin
  15. pass — a permit
  16. race — a contest
  17. mug — a cup
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. current — happening now
  20. current — of water
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. race — the arms race
  23. can — a tin
  24. racket — for tennis

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