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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. object — an aim
  3. spell — letters
  4. object — a thing
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cue — for pool
  9. current — of water
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. mate — a partner
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. content — happy
  14. cue — a hint
  15. spell — a short time
  16. mate — a friend
  17. spell — magic
  18. object — to protest
  19. cue — a signal
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. current — electric
  22. mate — to breed
  23. content — the amount
  24. cabinet — ministers

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