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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. kid — child
  4. kid — to tease
  5. current — electric
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. pit — in a race
  10. current — happening now
  11. mug — a face
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. current — of water
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. mug — a cup
  16. content — happy
  17. chair — a leader
  18. pit — a hole
  19. date — the fruit
  20. mug — to rob
  21. content — the amount
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. chip — for betting
  24. chip — to eat

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