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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. race — humankind
  3. content — the amount
  4. drill — army training
  5. rest — a break
  6. bass — low music
  7. race — the arms race
  8. content — happy
  9. current — happening now
  10. bass — the fish
  11. craft — boats
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. current — of water
  15. rest — what's left
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. dip — to sink
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. drill — the tool
  20. rest — what's left
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. race — a contest
  23. craft — a skill
  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