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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. chair — a leader
  4. deal — to handle
  5. content — happy
  6. bear — the animal
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. content — the amount
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. current — of water
  15. bear — the animal
  16. pitch — completely
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. foot — a measure
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. current — happening now
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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