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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. mate — to breed
  3. current — electric
  4. current — of water
  5. race — the arms race
  6. craft — a skill
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. race — humankind
  9. content — happy
  10. ball — a great time
  11. club — for dancing
  12. race — a contest
  13. wind — moving air
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. wind — moving air
  16. club — a group
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. ball — a dance
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. content — the amount
  21. club — for golf
  22. current — happening now
  23. craft — boats
  24. mate — a partner

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