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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: cue · ball · sharp · racket · pitch · fall · race · current

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  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 — of water
  2. current — happening now
  3. sharp — clever
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. fall — the season
  6. cue — for pool
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. fall — to drop
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. race — humankind
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. race — the arms race
  15. fall — to drop
  16. cue — a signal
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. ball — a dance
  19. race — a contest
  20. current — electric
  21. cue — a hint
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. ball — a great time
  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