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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. field — for sport
  3. cue — a signal
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. content — the amount
  6. current — electric
  7. cue — a hint
  8. current — of water
  9. current — happening now
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. face — to confront
  12. field — farmland
  13. vault — a safe
  14. chip — for betting
  15. field — a subject
  16. face — part of the head
  17. present — the time now
  18. cue — for pool
  19. content — happy
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. chip — to eat
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. present — there
  24. present — a gift

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