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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · sharp · deal · calf · game · club · stick · current

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. current — of water
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. current — happening now
  6. current — electric
  7. game — a match
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. club — a group
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. club — for dancing
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. content — happy
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. deal — to handle
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. sharp — clever
  19. club — for golf
  20. content — the amount
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. game — wild animals
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. calf — a young animal

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