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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. content — happy
  6. current — happening now
  7. board — to get on
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. vault — a safe
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. bass — the fish
  13. land — a country
  14. land — ground
  15. scale — size or range
  16. rock — a stone
  17. bass — low music
  18. rock — music
  19. scale — in music
  20. content — the amount
  21. board — a committee
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. current — electric
  24. land — to come down

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