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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. last — to go on
  3. bound — obliged
  4. current — of water
  5. deal — to handle
  6. current — electric
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. bound — certain
  9. last — finally
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. board — to get on
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. content — the amount
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. content — happy
  18. board — a committee
  19. perch — the fish
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. current — happening now
  22. bound — tied together
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. board — a flat piece

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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