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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. content — the amount
  3. net — for catching
  4. fork — in a road
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. bound — obliged
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. current — happening now
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. current — electric
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. dip — to sink
  15. bound — tied together
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. net — in sport
  21. bound — certain
  22. net — after costs
  23. content — happy
  24. kick — in football

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