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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. rule — government
  4. ball — a great time
  5. current — of water
  6. bound — certain
  7. march — the month
  8. current — electric
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. rule — a law
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. content — the amount
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. content — happy
  16. bound — obliged
  17. march — music
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. current — happening now
  20. ball — a dance
  21. plane — a tool
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. march — the month
  24. rule — to rule out

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