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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 116 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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. current — of water
  4. current — happening now
  5. present — the time now
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. wake — a trail
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. present — there
  10. field — for sport
  11. content — the amount
  12. land — a country
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. content — happy
  16. current — electric
  17. field — farmland
  18. fork — in a road
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. present — a gift
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. field — a subject
  23. land — ground
  24. fork — to eat with

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