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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. current — happening now
  5. fine — high quality
  6. current — of water
  7. current — electric
  8. content — happy
  9. content — the amount
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. band — a ring
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. pass — a permit
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. band — a music group
  22. fine — all right
  23. ball — a dance
  24. ball — a great time

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