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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. row — to paddle
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. game — a match
  5. lie — to recline
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. current — happening now
  8. current — electric
  9. current — of water
  10. hand — help
  11. row — a line
  12. charge — a price
  13. pit — in a race
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. content — happy
  16. charge — electricity
  17. game — wild animals
  18. content — the amount
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. charge — in control
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. pit — a hole
  23. hand — in cards
  24. row — a quarrel

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