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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. mug — a cup
  3. race — humankind
  4. fine — all right
  5. content — the amount
  6. pit — a hole
  7. current — electric
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. fine — high quality
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. race — a contest
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. current — of water
  14. rule — a law
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. mug — to rob
  17. race — the arms race
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. pit — in a race
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. mug — a face
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. content — happy
  24. rule — government

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