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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. race — humankind
  3. drill — the tool
  4. spell — letters
  5. content — the amount
  6. current — of water
  7. current — happening now
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. current — electric
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. hand — in cards
  12. fine — all right
  13. drill — a practice
  14. spell — magic
  15. drill — army training
  16. content — happy
  17. fine — high quality
  18. race — a contest
  19. suit — clothes
  20. hand — help
  21. race — the arms race
  22. spell — a short time
  23. suit — in cards
  24. suit — to fit

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