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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: game · ground · last · sharp · charge · key · current · race

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. sharp — clever
  3. last — to go on
  4. ground — a position
  5. race — the arms race
  6. current — happening now
  7. charge — a price
  8. ground — crushed
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. key — in music
  11. game — a match
  12. key — the most important part
  13. current — of water
  14. last — finally
  15. game — wild animals
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. charge — in control
  18. charge — electricity
  19. key — for a lock
  20. race — a contest
  21. last — final
  22. ground — the earth
  23. race — humankind
  24. sharp — exactly

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