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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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. patient — a sick person
  4. current — electric
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. current — of water
  7. swing — to play on
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. charge — a price
  10. field — a subject
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. rock — music
  13. field — for sport
  14. chair — a leader
  15. charge — electricity
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. content — happy
  18. swing — in golf
  19. field — farmland
  20. swing — music
  21. current — happening now
  22. charge — in control
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. rock — a stone

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