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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. content — the amount
  3. march — the month
  4. bore — to drill
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. cap — of ice
  9. current — of water
  10. chair — a leader
  11. cap — a hat
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. march — the month
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. cap — a lid
  19. march — music
  20. current — electric
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. bore — to tire
  23. content — happy
  24. current — happening now

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