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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 · pop · deal · foot · bat · cue · bore

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. pop — to visit
  3. cue — a signal
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. current — happening now
  8. current — electric
  9. cue — a hint
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. deal — to handle
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. pop — music
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. foot — a measure
  18. content — happy
  19. current — of water
  20. content — the amount
  21. pop — soda
  22. bore — to drill
  23. bat — the animal
  24. cue — for pool

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