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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 · cue · land · rush · spell · race · pit · pitch

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  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. race — humankind
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. current — of water
  4. cue — a signal
  5. pit — in a race
  6. spell — a short time
  7. spell — magic
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. land — to come down
  10. cue — a hint
  11. pit — a hole
  12. race — a contest
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. land — a country
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. current — happening now
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. current — electric
  19. pitch — completely
  20. cue — for pool
  21. rush — hurry
  22. spell — letters
  23. land — ground
  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