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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: ball · wound · current · cap · content · foot · jam · deal

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. wound — an injury
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. ball — a dance
  5. cap — a lid
  6. cap — of ice
  7. deal — to handle
  8. wound — an injury
  9. ball — a great time
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. content — the amount
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. current — electric
  17. content — happy
  18. current — of water
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. current — happening now
  21. foot — a measure
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. jam — a tight spot

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