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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. content — the amount
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. object — to protest
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. rule — a law
  7. object — an aim
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. mark — a trace
  10. current — of water
  11. bark — to shout
  12. current — electric
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. rule — government
  15. mark — a grade
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. object — a thing
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. current — happening now
  24. content — happy

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