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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: firm · content · spell · season · racket · current · ruler · chair

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. season — of the year
  3. content — happy
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. season — in sport
  6. current — electric
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. spell — a short time
  10. chair — a leader
  11. firm — a company
  12. spell — magic
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. content — the amount
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. spell — letters
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. firm — decided
  23. firm — steady
  24. current — happening now

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