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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. race — a contest
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. bark — to shout
  6. race — humankind
  7. race — the arms race
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. current — happening now
  11. current — electric
  12. content — happy
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. cue — a hint
  15. cue — for pool
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. current — of water
  18. clip — a video
  19. clip — for paper
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. clip — to cut
  22. cue — a signal
  23. content — the amount
  24. jam — a tight spot

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