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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. content — the amount
  3. bound — obliged
  4. kid — to tease
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. bound — tied together
  7. current — electric
  8. pass — a permit
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. field — for sport
  11. current — happening now
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. rash — a series
  16. content — happy
  17. rash — hasty
  18. bound — certain
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. field — farmland
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. kid — child
  24. field — a subject

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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