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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. content — the amount
  6. current — of water
  7. spell — magic
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. content — happy
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. spell — letters
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. rush — hurry
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. vault — a safe
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. spell — a short time
  22. current — electric
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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