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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. current — of water
  4. face — to confront
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. swing — music
  7. current — electric
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. face — part of the head
  10. face — to point toward
  11. current — happening now
  12. bat — the animal
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. row — to paddle
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. pitch — completely
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. swing — to play on
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. row — a line
  22. swing — in golf
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. content — happy

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