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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. content — happy
  4. rule — government
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. chest — of your body
  7. current — happening now
  8. current — electric
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. chest — of your body
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. fine — high quality
  15. rule — a law
  16. fine — all right
  17. chair — a leader
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. content — the amount
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. chest — a box
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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