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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 120 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 · lie · current · race · ruler · pitch · court · club

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. lie — to recline
  3. race — humankind
  4. spell — a short time
  5. race — the arms race
  6. club — for dancing
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. club — for golf
  9. court — for sport
  10. race — a contest
  11. spell — magic
  12. current — of water
  13. court — of law
  14. club — a group
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. spell — letters
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. court — of a king
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. current — electric
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. pitch — completely

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