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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. current — of water
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. land — a country
  7. foot — a measure
  8. wake — a trail
  9. toast — bread
  10. content — happy
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. net — after costs
  14. land — to come down
  15. content — the amount
  16. land — ground
  17. net — in sport
  18. current — electric
  19. rash — hasty
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. net — for catching
  22. current — happening now
  23. rash — a series
  24. foot — part of the body

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