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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: kick · pitcher · content · wound · roll · staff · current · object

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. wound — an injury
  3. staff — a stick
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. current — electric
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. object — a thing
  8. kick — in football
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. current — of water
  11. object — to protest
  12. roll — a cake
  13. current — happening now
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. content — happy
  16. staff — employees
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. wound — an injury
  19. object — an aim
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. roll — a list
  22. content — the amount
  23. staff — employees
  24. pitcher — a jug

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