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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. current — of water
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. content — the amount
  5. chair — a leader
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. season — of the year
  10. current — happening now
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. current — electric
  14. content — happy
  15. sharp — clever
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. face — part of the head
  18. face — to confront
  19. mark — a grade
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. face — to point toward
  23. pound — a weight
  24. season — in sport

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