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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. current — electric
  3. content — happy
  4. date — the fruit
  5. pit — in a race
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. craft — boats
  8. board — a committee
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. pit — a hole
  11. craft — a skill
  12. content — the amount
  13. mug — a face
  14. mug — a cup
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. board — to get on
  17. current — of water
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. current — happening now
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. content — videos and posts

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