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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. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. race — humankind
  3. plane — a tool
  4. race — a contest
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. rash — hasty
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. current — of water
  11. content — the amount
  12. net — after costs
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. current — electric
  18. net — in sport
  19. content — happy
  20. race — the arms race
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. current — happening now
  23. net — for catching
  24. rash — a series

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