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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: current · rush · ball · content · pitcher · race · press · date

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. press — newspapers
  3. content — happy
  4. current — of water
  5. race — the arms race
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. current — electric
  9. content — the amount
  10. race — humankind
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. race — a contest
  14. rush — hurry
  15. date — the fruit
  16. current — happening now
  17. press — to push
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. ball — a dance
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. ball — a great time

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