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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. bark — to shout
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. rash — a series
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. drill — army training
  8. current — electric
  9. net — for catching
  10. content — happy
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. current — of water
  15. drill — the tool
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. drill — a practice
  18. kick — in football
  19. rash — hasty
  20. net — after costs
  21. net — in sport
  22. content — the amount
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. pass — a permit

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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