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

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. content — happy
  3. current — electric
  4. bank — for money
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. kid — child
  7. scale — in music
  8. kid — to tease
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. current — of water
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. content — the amount
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. current — happening now
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. bank — for money
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. snap — to click
  19. deal — to handle
  20. bank — of a river
  21. scale — size or range
  22. rock — music
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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