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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 116 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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. march — music
  3. deal — to handle
  4. march — the month
  5. current — electric
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. rock — a stone
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. rock — music
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. march — the month
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. current — happening now
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. track — a song
  19. track — a path
  20. content — the amount
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. track — to keep track
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. current — of water

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