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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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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: racket · kid · rash · content · craft · fall · current · ruler

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. fall — to drop
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. current — electric
  6. craft — a skill
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. content — the amount
  9. current — happening now
  10. kid — child
  11. rash — hasty
  12. rash — a series
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. kid — to tease
  17. fall — the season
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. craft — boats
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. content — happy
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. fall — to drop

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