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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: wind · current · roll · cap · spell · pitch · content · cue

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. content — the amount
  4. pitch — completely
  5. cap — a lid
  6. roll — a cake
  7. cap — a hat
  8. roll — a list
  9. current — electric
  10. spell — magic
  11. cue — a hint
  12. spell — a short time
  13. cap — of ice
  14. content — happy
  15. wind — moving air
  16. cue — a signal
  17. wind — moving air
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. cue — for pool
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. spell — letters
  22. current — happening now
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. content — videos and posts

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