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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. game — a match
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. drill — army training
  5. current — happening now
  6. bound — certain
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. current — electric
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. bound — tied together
  11. game — wild animals
  12. roll — a list
  13. content — the amount
  14. fine — all right
  15. roll — a cake
  16. pitch — completely
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. content — happy
  19. bound — obliged
  20. current — of water
  21. drill — the tool
  22. fine — high quality
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. roll — on a roll

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