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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  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. season — of the year
  2. current — electric
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. race — humankind
  6. can — a tin
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. can — to be able to
  9. squash — to crush
  10. season — in sport
  11. current — happening now
  12. craft — boats
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. squash — the sport
  16. content — happy
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. can — a tin
  19. race — a contest
  20. race — the arms race
  21. content — the amount
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. craft — a skill
  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