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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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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: pound · race · squash · kid · current · rule · racket · can

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. rule — a law
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. current — happening now
  5. race — the arms race
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. current — electric
  9. squash — to crush
  10. can — a tin
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. rule — government
  14. kid — to tease
  15. pound — a weight
  16. can — to be able to
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. can — a tin
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. race — a contest
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. kid — child
  23. current — of water
  24. squash — the sport

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