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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. pass — a permit
  6. current — happening now
  7. current — of water
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. band — a ring
  11. current — electric
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. hand — in cards
  14. object — an aim
  15. object — a thing
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. content — happy
  18. hand — help
  19. pit — a hole
  20. object — to protest
  21. pit — in a race
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. band — a music group
  24. hand — part of the body

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