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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. mark — a trace
  4. current — electric
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. current — happening now
  8. row — a line
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. content — the amount
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. mark — a grade
  14. current — of water
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. content — happy
  19. rock — music
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. dip — to sink
  22. row — to paddle
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. dip — to dunk

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