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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. content — happy
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. current — electric
  7. ground — the earth
  8. content — the amount
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. race — a contest
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. bound — tied together
  14. current — of water
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. ground — crushed
  17. race — the arms race
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. ground — a position
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. current — happening now
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. bound — certain
  24. bound — obliged

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