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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. pop — to visit
  3. perch — the fish
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. current — of water
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. pop — music
  8. current — happening now
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. pop — soda
  13. spell — a short time
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. current — electric
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. pitch — completely
  20. spell — letters
  21. content — the amount
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. content — happy
  24. spell — magic

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