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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. current — happening now
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. content — the amount
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. chair — a leader
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. current — of water
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. plane — a tool
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. current — electric
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. rush — hurry
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. content — happy
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. arm — a part of something

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