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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. last — to go on
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. content — the amount
  5. wake — a trail
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. content — happy
  8. current — happening now
  9. rock — a stone
  10. kid — to tease
  11. board — to get on
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. kid — child
  15. last — finally
  16. last — final
  17. current — of water
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. current — electric
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. board — a committee
  22. pitch — completely
  23. rock — music
  24. rock — to move gently

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