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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. ball — a great time
  3. content — the amount
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. swing — to play on
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. present — the time now
  8. current — happening now
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. perch — the fish
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. present — a gift
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. swing — music
  15. pass — a permit
  16. current — electric
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. content — happy
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. swing — in golf
  22. ball — a dance
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. present — there

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