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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
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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: bound · perch · toast · content · game · current · ball · drill

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. game — a match
  3. content — the amount
  4. current — electric
  5. drill — the tool
  6. content — happy
  7. game — wild animals
  8. bound — obliged
  9. current — of water
  10. toast — bread
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. drill — a practice
  15. bound — certain
  16. ball — a great time
  17. ball — a dance
  18. perch — the fish
  19. current — happening now
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. bound — tied together
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. content — videos and posts

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