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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: spring · rock · current · pit · fall · chair · race · deal

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. spring — the season
  4. pit — a hole
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. race — the arms race
  7. rock — a stone
  8. deal — to handle
  9. current — happening now
  10. fall — the season
  11. current — electric
  12. race — humankind
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. spring — of water
  15. chair — a leader
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. race — a contest
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. pit — in a race
  20. current — of water
  21. spring — a coil
  22. fall — to drop
  23. fall — to drop
  24. chair — a professorship

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