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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 120 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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. dip — to sink
  3. rash — a series
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. content — the amount
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. rash — hasty
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. content — happy
  10. current — of water
  11. current — happening now
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. bound — obliged
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. bound — certain
  20. mine — for digging
  21. foot — a measure
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. bound — tied together
  24. rash — on the skin

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