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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 116 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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. bear — the animal
  5. current — electric
  6. bear — the animal
  7. current — happening now
  8. game — wild animals
  9. object — a thing
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. fine — high quality
  12. drill — the tool
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. current — of water
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. game — a match
  17. fine — all right
  18. drill — army training
  19. drill — a practice
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. object — to protest
  22. content — happy
  23. content — the amount
  24. bowl — a football final

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