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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 120 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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: kick · rash · ball · race · fan · current · can · rule

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. can — a tin
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. ball — a great time
  6. rule — a law
  7. can — to be able to
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. kick — in football
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. ball — a dance
  13. rash — hasty
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. race — a contest
  16. current — happening now
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. rule — government
  19. can — a tin
  20. current — electric
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. race — humankind
  23. race — the arms race
  24. current — of water

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