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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. current — electric
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. bulb — for light
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. content — the amount
  11. present — the time now
  12. bulb — for light
  13. content — happy
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. fork — in a road
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. current — of water
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. current — happening now
  22. present — a gift
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. toast — bread

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