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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 · race · trunk · mark · rush · chair · pop · content

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. current — happening now
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. race — humankind
  7. pop — music
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. mark — a grade
  10. rush — hurry
  11. current — electric
  12. chair — a leader
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. race — a contest
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. mark — a trace
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. race — the arms race
  20. pop — to visit
  21. current — of water
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. content — happy
  24. content — the amount

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