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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. object — an aim
  3. current — happening now
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. degree — an amount
  6. fall — the season
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. object — a thing
  9. pit — in a race
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. content — happy
  12. content — the amount
  13. fall — to drop
  14. degree — temperature
  15. current — of water
  16. degree — from a university
  17. fall — to drop
  18. board — a committee
  19. object — to protest
  20. pit — a hole
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. current — electric
  24. board — to get on

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