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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. swing — to play on
  4. swing — in golf
  5. ball — a dance
  6. current — electric
  7. ball — a great time
  8. current — of water
  9. root — the cause
  10. root — of a plant
  11. current — happening now
  12. last — final
  13. mark — a grade
  14. face — part of the head
  15. root — of a word
  16. content — the amount
  17. face — to confront
  18. last — finally
  19. last — to go on
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. swing — music
  23. content — happy
  24. face — to point toward

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