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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: kid · can · current · pit · bowl · content · squash · wave

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. squash — the sport
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. content — the amount
  6. kid — to tease
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. can — to be able to
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. squash — to crush
  12. current — happening now
  13. kid — child
  14. can — a tin
  15. pit — a hole
  16. current — of water
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. pit — in a race
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. current — electric
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. can — a tin

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