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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. current — electric
  4. chair — a leader
  5. content — happy
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. ball — a dance
  11. ball — a great time
  12. content — the amount
  13. current — of water
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. bound — obliged
  16. bound — certain
  17. bound — tied together
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. dip — to sink
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. current — happening now
  23. pitch — completely
  24. content — videos and posts

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