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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: race · mate · content · current · can · kid · kick · rush

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. content — the amount
  3. mate — a friend
  4. kick — in football
  5. race — the arms race
  6. rush — hurry
  7. race — humankind
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. can — a tin
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. current — of water
  12. kid — child
  13. can — a tin
  14. race — a contest
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. can — to be able to
  19. mate — to breed
  20. current — happening now
  21. content — happy
  22. kid — to tease
  23. current — electric
  24. rush — a thrill

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