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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. current — of water
  4. content — the amount
  5. current — electric
  6. content — happy
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. bear — the animal
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. bear — the animal
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. sharp — clever
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. date — the fruit
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. current — happening now
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. bear — to put up with

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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