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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. ball — a great time
  3. season — in sport
  4. chest — a box
  5. rock — a stone
  6. current — happening now
  7. mine — for digging
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. season — of the year
  10. current — electric
  11. content — the amount
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. ball — a dance
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. content — happy
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. chest — of your body
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. current — of water
  23. chest — of your body
  24. rock — music

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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