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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: race · current · rock · pit · club · cabinet · spell · ball

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. race — a contest
  3. rock — a stone
  4. current — electric
  5. spell — letters
  6. club — for golf
  7. current — happening now
  8. pit — in a race
  9. race — humankind
  10. club — a group
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. pit — a hole
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. rock — music
  16. race — the arms race
  17. ball — a dance
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. spell — magic
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. current — of water
  22. club — for dancing
  23. spell — a short time
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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