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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. court — for sport
  3. game — a match
  4. board — a committee
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. court — of law
  7. content — the amount
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mark — a trace
  11. current — electric
  12. game — wild animals
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. current — happening now
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. court — of a king
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. content — happy
  21. board — to get on
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. current — of water
  24. mark — a grade

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