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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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. current — electric
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. season — in sport
  5. firm — a company
  6. current — happening now
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. season — of the year
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. date — the fruit
  12. current — of water
  13. firm — steady
  14. tube — a container
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. game — wild animals
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. firm — decided
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. cold — not warm
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. game — a match
  23. tube — the underground
  24. cold — an illness

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