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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  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. rash — hasty
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. bear — the animal
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. rock — music
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. current — electric
  8. rash — a series
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. chair — a leader
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. content — happy
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. current — of water
  15. pop — music
  16. pop — to visit
  17. content — the amount
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. rock — a stone
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. pop — soda
  23. current — happening now
  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