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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.

Make a worksheet

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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Word bank
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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. current — of water
  3. game — a match
  4. degree — temperature
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. degree — an amount
  7. content — happy
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. current — electric
  10. degree — from a university
  11. mark — a grade
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. content — the amount
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. mark — a trace
  20. fine — high quality
  21. current — happening now
  22. fine — all right
  23. game — wild animals
  24. chair — a leader

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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