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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: nail · content · current · can · stick · pitcher · race · spring

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. content — the amount
  3. race — humankind
  4. spring — the season
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. spring — a coil
  10. spring — of water
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. can — a tin
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. current — happening now
  16. race — a contest
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. content — happy
  19. current — electric
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. can — to be able to
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. current — of water
  24. can — a tin

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