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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mouse · degree · fork · content · chair · current · pass · snap

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. fork — in a road
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. chair — a leader
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. pass — a permit
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. snap — to click
  11. degree — an amount
  12. degree — from a university
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. degree — temperature
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. current — happening now
  20. content — happy
  21. current — of water
  22. content — the amount
  23. current — electric
  24. fork — to eat with

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