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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. current — happening now
  3. content — the amount
  4. drill — army training
  5. current — electric
  6. bound — tied together
  7. file — a line of people
  8. cue — a hint
  9. cue — for pool
  10. cue — a signal
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. content — happy
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. drill — a practice
  15. pass — a permit
  16. file — a tool
  17. stem — to come from
  18. current — of water
  19. bound — certain
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. bound — obliged
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. drill — the tool
  24. file — a document

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