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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. ball — a great time
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. race — humankind
  5. content — the amount
  6. current — electric
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. race — the arms race
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. current — happening now
  12. wax — to grow
  13. season — in sport
  14. content — happy
  15. season — of the year
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. stock — shares
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. ball — a dance
  20. race — a contest
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. stock — goods
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. current — of water

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