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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: content · lie · calf · bark · cap · pit · current · squash

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. cap — of ice
  7. content — the amount
  8. content — happy
  9. squash — the sport
  10. pit — in a race
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. bark — to shout
  13. lie — to recline
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. current — of water
  16. current — electric
  17. cap — a hat
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. cap — a lid
  20. current — happening now
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. squash — to crush

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