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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 · shower · game · current · suit · net · chest · can

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. current — of water
  3. game — wild animals
  4. can — a tin
  5. race — a contest
  6. chest — a box
  7. suit — in cards
  8. game — a match
  9. shower — to wash
  10. suit — to fit
  11. net — after costs
  12. suit — clothes
  13. current — electric
  14. race — humankind
  15. shower — rain
  16. can — to be able to
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. net — for catching
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. can — a tin
  21. net — in sport
  22. chest — of your body
  23. race — the arms race
  24. current — happening now

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