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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 116 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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. current — of water
  4. content — happy
  5. pop — to visit
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. content — the amount
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. wound — an injury
  11. chip — to eat
  12. wax — to grow
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. current — happening now
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. stand — to bear
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. pop — soda
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. chip — for betting
  22. current — electric
  23. pop — music
  24. wound — an injury

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