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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.

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: current · content · tube · pass · bay · date · object · straw

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. object — a thing
  4. date — the fruit
  5. content — the amount
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. pass — a permit
  9. current — of water
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. object — to protest
  14. tube — a container
  15. object — an aim
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. content — happy
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. current — happening now
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. current — electric
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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