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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. race — a contest
  3. root — the cause
  4. current — electric
  5. race — the arms race
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. net — after costs
  8. root — of a word
  9. net — in sport
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. root — of a plant
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. rush — hurry
  15. current — of water
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. content — happy
  18. content — the amount
  19. current — happening now
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. wind — moving air
  22. net — for catching
  23. race — humankind
  24. mouse — the animal

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