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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: rock · racket · current · race · last · pop · jam · stand

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. race — the arms race
  3. pop — music
  4. pop — to visit
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. current — happening now
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. rock — a stone
  9. last — finally
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. race — humankind
  12. last — to go on
  13. rock — music
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. stand — to bear
  16. current — electric
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. current — of water
  22. last — final
  23. race — a contest
  24. pop — soda

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