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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. content — happy
  4. swing — music
  5. mate — a friend
  6. spring — a coil
  7. swing — to play on
  8. fine — all right
  9. fine — high quality
  10. mate — to breed
  11. mate — a partner
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. swing — in golf
  15. current — electric
  16. content — the amount
  17. spring — of water
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. spring — the season
  20. firm — steady
  21. perch — the fish
  22. firm — a company
  23. firm — decided
  24. current — happening now

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