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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. charge — in control
  4. cue — a signal
  5. content — happy
  6. cue — for pool
  7. tear — from crying
  8. current — electric
  9. season — in sport
  10. spring — the season
  11. current — happening now
  12. land — to come down
  13. charge — a price
  14. spring — of water
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. tear — to rip
  17. cue — a hint
  18. charge — electricity
  19. spring — a coil
  20. land — ground
  21. content — the amount
  22. land — a country
  23. current — of water
  24. tear — from crying

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