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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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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: march · snap · foot · racket · race · band · current · ball

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. race — humankind
  3. snap — to click
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. current — electric
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. current — happening now
  8. foot — a measure
  9. band — a music group
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. ball — a great time
  12. current — of water
  13. march — music
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. band — a ring
  16. ball — a dance
  17. race — the arms race
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. march — the month
  23. race — a contest
  24. ball — a round shape

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