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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 116 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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. current — of water
  3. spring — a coil
  4. content — the amount
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. mate — to breed
  7. spell — a short time
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. rule — a law
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. pound — a weight
  12. spring — the season
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. spell — magic
  15. spell — letters
  16. current — happening now
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. mate — a friend
  19. craft — boats
  20. spring — of water
  21. content — happy
  22. craft — a skill
  23. rule — government
  24. mate — a partner

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