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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. net — after costs
  4. rock — a stone
  5. roll — a cake
  6. current — electric
  7. present — a gift
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. board — to get on
  10. present — the time now
  11. board — a committee
  12. cap — a hat
  13. present — there
  14. net — for catching
  15. current — happening now
  16. current — of water
  17. rock — music
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. content — happy
  20. cap — of ice
  21. roll — a list
  22. cap — a lid
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. net — in sport

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