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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  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. spell — letters
  2. current — happening now
  3. cue — for pool
  4. tear — to rip
  5. content — the amount
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. lean — thin
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. lean — to bend
  15. cue — a signal
  16. tear — from crying
  17. current — of water
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. cue — a hint
  20. spell — a short time
  21. tear — from crying
  22. current — electric
  23. spell — magic
  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