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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. spell — magic
  3. current — of water
  4. bank — for money
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. content — happy
  7. current — happening now
  8. spell — a short time
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. mine — for digging
  11. current — electric
  12. bank — of a river
  13. bank — for money
  14. object — a thing
  15. spell — letters
  16. object — to protest
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. content — the amount
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. bowl — a football final

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