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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: craft · current · mug · kid · hand · race · date · ball

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. craft — a skill
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. hand — help
  8. ball — a great time
  9. kid — to tease
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. current — of water
  12. race — the arms race
  13. mug — a face
  14. current — happening now
  15. date — the fruit
  16. mug — to rob
  17. mug — a cup
  18. race — humankind
  19. race — a contest
  20. craft — boats
  21. kid — child
  22. hand — in cards
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. ball — a dance

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