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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. court — of law
  3. current — of water
  4. tear — from crying
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. content — happy
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. dip — to sink
  9. tear — from crying
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. current — electric
  12. suit — to fit
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. toast — bread
  15. court — of a king
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. suit — clothes
  18. content — the amount
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. rush — hurry
  21. court — for sport
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. tear — to rip
  24. suit — in cards

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