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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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. chair — to sit on
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. prune — to trim
  7. current — happening now
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. chair — a leader
  13. content — happy
  14. prune — to trim
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. current — of water
  17. perch — the fish
  18. kick — in football
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. foot — a measure
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. current — electric
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. prune — the fruit

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