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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. cue — for pool
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. current — happening now
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. roll — a list
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. content — happy
  11. current — electric
  12. rock — music
  13. content — the amount
  14. cue — a signal
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. drill — a practice
  18. roll — a cake
  19. deal — to handle
  20. rock — a stone
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. cue — a hint
  23. drill — the tool
  24. drill — army training

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