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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. pop — soda
  4. staff — employees
  5. race — the arms race
  6. staff — employees
  7. content — happy
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. pitch — completely
  11. bulb — for light
  12. staff — a stick
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. pop — music
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. current — electric
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. current — happening now
  20. race — humankind
  21. pop — to visit
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. race — a contest
  24. content — the amount

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