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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: kid · race · dip · plane · ground · mark · current · drill

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. mark — a trace
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. race — humankind
  5. current — of water
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. ground — the earth
  9. dip — to sink
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. drill — the tool
  12. current — happening now
  13. ground — crushed
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. kid — child
  17. drill — a practice
  18. current — electric
  19. race — a contest
  20. mark — a grade
  21. drill — army training
  22. plane — a tool
  23. ground — a position
  24. kid — to tease

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