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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 120 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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. mug — to rob
  3. content — happy
  4. content — the amount
  5. track — a path
  6. rest — what's left
  7. mug — a cup
  8. rest — what's left
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. pound — a weight
  16. rest — a break
  17. current — happening now
  18. mug — a face
  19. current — electric
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. current — of water
  22. track — to keep track
  23. track — a song
  24. safe — out of danger

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