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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. current — of water
  6. kick — in football
  7. board — to get on
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. content — happy
  10. current — electric
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. content — the amount
  17. mark — a trace
  18. mark — a grade
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. current — happening now
  22. board — a committee
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. safe — a strongbox

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