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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: bear · club · spring · race · firm · content · current · can

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. can — to be able to
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. club — for golf
  5. bear — the animal
  6. current — electric
  7. club — for dancing
  8. bear — the animal
  9. spring — the season
  10. race — humankind
  11. current — of water
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. race — the arms race
  14. can — a tin
  15. race — a contest
  16. current — happening now
  17. content — happy
  18. club — a group
  19. spring — of water
  20. content — the amount
  21. spring — a coil
  22. firm — decided
  23. firm — steady
  24. firm — a company

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