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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 120 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: current · content · deal · kid · fork · foot · ball · arm

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. fork — in a road
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. deal — to handle
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. content — the amount
  10. kid — to tease
  11. content — happy
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. kid — child
  15. ball — a great time
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. current — of water
  18. foot — a measure
  19. ball — a dance
  20. current — happening now
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. deal — a big deal

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