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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. content — the amount
  3. club — for golf
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. club — for dancing
  6. squash — to crush
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. content — happy
  9. current — happening now
  10. current — electric
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. saw — the tool
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. club — a group
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. current — of water
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. season — in sport
  21. season — of the year
  22. saw — the tool
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. squash — the sport

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