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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. current — of water
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. prune — to trim
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. fork — in a road
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. pitch — completely
  9. current — electric
  10. content — happy
  11. charge — electricity
  12. charge — a price
  13. object — a thing
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. current — happening now
  18. charge — in control
  19. prune — to trim
  20. bore — to tire
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. object — to protest
  23. object — an aim
  24. bore — to drill

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