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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. rule — a law
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. current — electric
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. rule — government
  7. content — happy
  8. toast — bread
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. can — to be able to
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. ball — a dance
  16. can — a tin
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. current — of water
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. current — happening now
  21. pitch — completely
  22. can — a tin
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. content — the amount

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