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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. last — finally
  3. current — electric
  4. press — to push
  5. current — happening now
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. game — wild animals
  8. ground — the earth
  9. board — to get on
  10. press — newspapers
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. game — a match
  15. ground — a position
  16. board — a committee
  17. press — a publisher
  18. ground — crushed
  19. content — happy
  20. last — final
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. last — to go on
  23. current — of water
  24. game — a kind of play

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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