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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 116 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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. squash — to crush
  3. mug — a cup
  4. race — a contest
  5. current — of water
  6. race — humankind
  7. face — to confront
  8. ground — crushed
  9. ground — a position
  10. mug — to rob
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. face — part of the head
  13. mug — a face
  14. current — happening now
  15. current — electric
  16. squash — the sport
  17. pop — music
  18. content — the amount
  19. content — happy
  20. face — to point toward
  21. pop — to visit
  22. ground — the earth
  23. pop — soda
  24. race — the arms race

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