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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. fork — in a road
  3. race — humankind
  4. current — of water
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. current — electric
  7. rash — a series
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. rash — hasty
  11. wound — an injury
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. content — happy
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. content — the amount
  16. wound — an injury
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. race — the arms race
  21. scale — size or range
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. scale — in music
  24. race — a contest

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