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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. court — for sport
  3. rule — a law
  4. content — the amount
  5. court — of law
  6. staff — a stick
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. staff — employees
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. current — electric
  12. tube — the underground
  13. content — happy
  14. staff — employees
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. rule — government
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. current — of water
  23. court — of a king
  24. current — happening now

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