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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 120 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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. current — happening now
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — for light
  5. swing — music
  6. can — a tin
  7. content — the amount
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. dip — to sink
  10. squash — the sport
  11. can — to be able to
  12. squash — to crush
  13. swing — to play on
  14. current — of water
  15. current — electric
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. content — happy
  18. row — to paddle
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. row — a line
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. can — a tin
  24. swing — in golf

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