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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 116 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: rush · court · lean · board · current · safe · pound · race

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. current — electric
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. court — of a king
  6. board — to get on
  7. race — a contest
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. rush — hurry
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. lean — to bend
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. board — a committee
  14. lean — thin
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. pound — a weight
  17. current — happening now
  18. race — the arms race
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. court — of law
  22. court — for sport
  23. race — humankind
  24. current — of water

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