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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. saw — the tool
  3. band — a ring
  4. stock — goods
  5. current — of water
  6. saw — the tool
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. foot — a measure
  9. cell — in biology
  10. content — the amount
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. content — happy
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. band — a music group
  19. cell — a phone
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. stock — shares
  22. current — happening now
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. toast — bread

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