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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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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 · saw · calf · content · racket · key

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. content — the amount
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. key — the most important part
  5. saw — the tool
  6. current — happening now
  7. current — electric
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. content — happy
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. key — for a lock
  16. key — in music
  17. saw — the tool
  18. racket — for tennis

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