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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. prune — to trim
  3. kid — child
  4. content — happy
  5. bank — of a river
  6. charge — a price
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. spell — letters
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. kid — to tease
  11. current — electric
  12. current — happening now
  13. spell — a short time
  14. bank — for money
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. charge — in control
  17. prune — to trim
  18. charge — electricity
  19. spell — magic
  20. current — of water
  21. bank — for money
  22. content — the amount
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. prune — the fruit

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