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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 · mug · mine · bat · current · craft · kick · track

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. current — happening now
  3. kick — in football
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. current — of water
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. mug — to rob
  11. content — the amount
  12. track — a path
  13. craft — a skill
  14. mine — for digging
  15. content — happy
  16. bat — the animal
  17. track — to keep track
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. mug — a face
  22. track — a song
  23. mug — a cup
  24. craft — boats

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