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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: mark · ground · swing · jam · net · current · snap · race

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. swing — music
  5. ground — a position
  6. mark — a trace
  7. race — the arms race
  8. ground — crushed
  9. current — of water
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. swing — in golf
  12. race — a contest
  13. net — in sport
  14. ground — the earth
  15. net — for catching
  16. swing — to play on
  17. mark — a grade
  18. snap — to click
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. current — happening now
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. net — after costs
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. current — electric

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