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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: current · key · band · bore · squash · race · suit · land

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. land — ground
  3. key — for a lock
  4. suit — in cards
  5. race — the arms race
  6. squash — the sport
  7. suit — clothes
  8. race — a contest
  9. squash — to crush
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. bore — to tire
  12. current — of water
  13. band — a music group
  14. land — to come down
  15. suit — to fit
  16. race — humankind
  17. key — in music
  18. land — a country
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. current — happening now
  21. bore — to drill
  22. band — a ring
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. key — the most important part

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