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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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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: drill · bowl · current · staff · pit · content · deal · pass

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. staff — employees
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. drill — the tool
  5. content — the amount
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. content — happy
  8. drill — army training
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. staff — a stick
  14. current — of water
  15. pit — in a race
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. pit — a hole
  19. current — happening now
  20. drill — a practice
  21. staff — employees
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. deal — to handle
  24. current — electric

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