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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.

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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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. board — a committee
  5. mark — a grade
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. band — a ring
  8. content — the amount
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. content — happy
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. root — of a plant
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. root — the cause
  15. current — electric
  16. perch — the fish
  17. root — of a word
  18. vault — a safe
  19. band — a music group
  20. board — to get on
  21. current — of water
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. mark — a trace
  24. perch — for a bird

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