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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. mine — for digging
  3. current — happening now
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. content — the amount
  6. current — of water
  7. field — farmland
  8. row — a line
  9. current — electric
  10. field — a subject
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. field — for sport
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. content — happy
  15. bear — the animal
  16. row — to paddle
  17. bear — the animal
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. mouse — the animal

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