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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: ground · current · spell · dip · drill · perch · firm · content

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. firm — steady
  3. drill — the tool
  4. perch — the fish
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. ground — crushed
  7. spell — letters
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. dip — to sink
  10. content — happy
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. firm — decided
  13. drill — a practice
  14. ground — the earth
  15. current — electric
  16. ground — a position
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. drill — army training
  20. firm — a company
  21. current — of water
  22. content — the amount
  23. current — happening now
  24. spell — magic

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