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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. ball — a dance
  3. chair — a leader
  4. board — to get on
  5. current — happening now
  6. bear — the animal
  7. current — electric
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. dip — to sink
  10. spell — magic
  11. content — the amount
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. board — a committee
  15. spell — letters
  16. spell — a short time
  17. bear — the animal
  18. current — of water
  19. ball — a great time
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. content — happy
  24. content — videos and posts

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