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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: fine · content · staff · bowl · current · prune · bulb · chest

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. staff — employees
  5. fine — high quality
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. content — happy
  8. staff — a stick
  9. chest — a box
  10. current — of water
  11. current — electric
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. chest — of your body
  15. prune — to trim
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. staff — employees
  20. current — happening now
  21. prune — to trim
  22. bulb — for light
  23. content — the amount
  24. fine — all right

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