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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. mark — a grade
  3. content — the amount
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. net — in sport
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. current — electric
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. club — for dancing
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. net — for catching
  13. club — for golf
  14. current — of water
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. mark — a trace
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. net — after costs
  22. content — happy
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. club — a group

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