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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: content · present · scale · mark · squash · staff · current · bat

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. mark — a trace
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. content — the amount
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. staff — employees
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. staff — employees
  9. current — electric
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. bat — the animal
  12. mark — a grade
  13. present — there
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. present — the time now
  16. content — happy
  17. squash — the sport
  18. present — a gift
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. current — happening now
  21. current — of water
  22. scale — in music
  23. squash — to crush
  24. scale — size or range

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