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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: net · toast · pitcher · content · club · shower · calf · current

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. club — for dancing
  3. current — happening now
  4. content — the amount
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. club — a group
  7. current — electric
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. club — for golf
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. net — for catching
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. net — in sport
  15. net — after costs
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. current — of water
  18. shower — to wash
  19. shower — rain
  20. content — happy
  21. toast — bread
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. toast — the most admired

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