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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. content — the amount
  3. current — of water
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. current — happening now
  7. present — a gift
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. content — happy
  10. present — the time now
  11. bound — certain
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. lean — to bend
  14. bound — tied together
  15. deal — to handle
  16. bound — obliged
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. mark — a trace
  19. present — there
  20. lean — thin
  21. current — electric
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. mark — a grade
  24. lean — to rest against

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