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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: current · pitcher · rush · spell · net · foot · race · march

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. march — the month
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. race — the arms race
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. current — of water
  10. current — happening now
  11. race — a contest
  12. foot — a measure
  13. march — music
  14. rush — hurry
  15. net — for catching
  16. current — electric
  17. net — in sport
  18. race — humankind
  19. spell — a short time
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. spell — letters
  22. net — after costs
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. spell — magic

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