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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. content — happy
  3. current — happening now
  4. rest — what's left
  5. content — the amount
  6. spell — letters
  7. current — of water
  8. scale — size or range
  9. bound — obliged
  10. scale — in music
  11. spell — a short time
  12. mug — a face
  13. rest — what's left
  14. mug — to rob
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. bound — certain
  17. current — electric
  18. mug — a cup
  19. rest — a break
  20. spell — magic
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. mark — a trace
  24. bound — tied together

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