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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: capital · current · content · stem · squash · pass · straw · jam

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. current — electric
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. current — of water
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. capital — money
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. squash — the sport
  14. pass — a permit
  15. capital — a city
  16. stem — to come from
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. current — happening now
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. content — the amount
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. squash — to crush

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