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

Word bank: stick · chest · mouse · current · content · capital · pit · perch

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. current — of water
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. current — electric
  9. content — the amount
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. chest — a box
  12. pit — a hole
  13. chest — of your body
  14. capital — a city
  15. chest — of your body
  16. perch — the fish
  17. pit — in a race
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. capital — money
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. current — happening now
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. content — happy

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