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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.

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: current · present · pitch · wave · race · season · saw · calf

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. present — the time now
  3. race — humankind
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. season — of the year
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. race — the arms race
  8. saw — the tool
  9. current — of water
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. current — electric
  15. present — there
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. saw — the tool
  18. current — happening now
  19. pitch — completely
  20. race — a contest
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. season — in sport
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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