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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: clip · can · staff · pound · content · trunk · fine · current

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. pound — a weight
  5. can — a tin
  6. current — happening now
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. current — electric
  9. clip — a video
  10. clip — to cut
  11. content — the amount
  12. can — a tin
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. current — of water
  16. fine — high quality
  17. content — happy
  18. staff — employees
  19. fine — all right
  20. staff — a stick
  21. can — to be able to
  22. staff — employees
  23. clip — for paper
  24. pound — to hit hard

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