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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. current — of water
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. kid — to tease
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. pass — a permit
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. content — happy
  11. board — a committee
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. pop — soda
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. pop — music
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. content — the amount
  20. current — happening now
  21. kid — child
  22. board — to get on
  23. current — electric
  24. pop — to visit

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