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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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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: mouse · race · drill · stick · wax · current · racket · spring

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. spring — the season
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. drill — a practice
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. current — happening now
  8. current — of water
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. drill — the tool
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. race — a contest
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. wax — to grow
  15. race — humankind
  16. race — the arms race
  17. spring — of water
  18. drill — army training
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. spring — a coil
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. mouse — the animal

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