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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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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: content · scale · race · lash · current · pass · snap · field

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. current — of water
  4. scale — size or range
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. snap — to click
  7. current — happening now
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. pass — a permit
  10. field — farmland
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. field — a subject
  14. scale — in music
  15. race — a contest
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. race — the arms race
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. field — for sport
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. content — the amount
  23. race — humankind
  24. content — happy

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