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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: kick · pitcher · land · craft · cue · current · fall · race

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. race — humankind
  3. kick — in football
  4. fall — to drop
  5. fall — the season
  6. cue — a signal
  7. current — electric
  8. fall — to drop
  9. craft — boats
  10. land — to come down
  11. land — ground
  12. current — of water
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. race — the arms race
  17. cue — for pool
  18. race — a contest
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. craft — a skill
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. cue — a hint
  24. current — happening now

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