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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: current · season · squash · bay · ground · leaves · race · date

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. race — the arms race
  3. current — of water
  4. current — happening now
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. squash — the sport
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. squash — to crush
  14. date — the fruit
  15. season — of the year
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. race — humankind
  18. ground — a position
  19. current — electric
  20. season — in sport
  21. race — a contest
  22. ground — the earth
  23. ground — crushed
  24. leaves — lets stay

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