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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. mug — a cup
  3. kick — in football
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. present — there
  6. scale — in music
  7. present — the time now
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. content — the amount
  10. current — happening now
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. mug — to rob
  13. mine — for digging
  14. current — of water
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. scale — size or range
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. mug — a face
  22. present — a gift
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. content — happy

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