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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. land — to come down
  4. land — a country
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. current — electric
  7. mark — a grade
  8. rush — hurry
  9. current — happening now
  10. chest — of your body
  11. land — ground
  12. mark — a trace
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. chest — of your body
  15. content — the amount
  16. chest — a box
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. content — happy
  23. current — of water
  24. mark — to pay attention

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