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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 120 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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. content — happy
  3. row — to paddle
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. current — electric
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. object — a thing
  8. current — of water
  9. object — an aim
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. cell — in biology
  12. swing — to play on
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. cell — a phone
  15. row — a line
  16. swing — music
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. content — the amount
  22. swing — in golf
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. object — to protest

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