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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  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. track — a path
  2. current — happening now
  3. current — electric
  4. board — a committee
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. track — to keep track
  7. object — an aim
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. track — a song
  10. bass — the fish
  11. object — a thing
  12. tear — from crying
  13. current — of water
  14. hand — in cards
  15. content — the amount
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. content — happy
  18. tear — from crying
  19. tear — to rip
  20. hand — help
  21. bass — low music
  22. board — to get on
  23. content — videos and posts
  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