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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 was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. current — happening now
  4. content — the amount
  5. pop — music
  6. mine — for digging
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. mark — a grade
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. mark — a trace
  11. current — electric
  12. pop — soda
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. rush — hurry
  15. cap — a hat
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. pop — to visit
  19. current — of water
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. cap — of ice
  23. cap — a lid
  24. content — happy

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