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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. content — the amount
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. chip — for betting
  7. current — happening now
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. chip — to eat
  12. current — electric
  13. roll — a cake
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. bass — low music
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. content — happy
  18. capital — money
  19. capital — a city
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. bass — the fish
  23. roll — a list
  24. current — of water

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