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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 120 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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. current — of water
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. pit — a hole
  6. present — the time now
  7. current — electric
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. present — a gift
  11. bat — the animal
  12. pit — in a race
  13. present — there
  14. board — to get on
  15. current — happening now
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. track — to keep track
  20. content — happy
  21. board — a committee
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. track — a song
  24. track — a path

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