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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. land — ground
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. land — a country
  5. ball — a great time
  6. current — of water
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. current — electric
  9. toast — bread
  10. content — the amount
  11. content — happy
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. current — happening now
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. ball — a dance
  16. net — for catching
  17. track — to keep track
  18. track — a song
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. track — a path
  21. net — in sport
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. land — to come down
  24. net — after costs

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