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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: stick · calf · coach · roll · current · content · cap · clip

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. roll — a cake
  3. cap — a hat
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. roll — a list
  9. clip — a video
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. cap — of ice
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. current — electric
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. clip — to cut
  19. cap — a lid
  20. content — happy
  21. content — the amount
  22. clip — for paper
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. current — of water

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