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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. current — of water
  7. scale — size or range
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. scale — in music
  10. court — for sport
  11. court — of law
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. court — of a king
  14. branch — a division
  15. mug — a cup
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. snap — to click
  19. current — happening now
  20. content — the amount
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. mug — to rob
  23. content — happy
  24. mug — a face

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