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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. rule — a law
  4. content — happy
  5. rule — government
  6. chair — a leader
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. current — electric
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. content — the amount
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. current — happening now
  20. current — of water
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. fan — to cool the air

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