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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. bore — to tire
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. pop — music
  6. degree — temperature
  7. current — happening now
  8. content — happy
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. degree — from a university
  11. pop — soda
  12. current — electric
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. content — the amount
  15. land — to come down
  16. bore — to drill
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. current — of water
  19. land — ground
  20. land — a country
  21. present — there
  22. pop — to visit
  23. present — a gift
  24. degree — an amount

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