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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: spell · bay · last · row · race · ball · current · mark

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. current — of water
  3. spell — magic
  4. ball — a great time
  5. last — to go on
  6. mark — a grade
  7. row — a line
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. last — final
  10. race — a contest
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. last — finally
  13. spell — a short time
  14. ball — a dance
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. row — to paddle
  17. race — the arms race
  18. spell — letters
  19. mark — a trace
  20. race — humankind
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. current — electric

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