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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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: spell · club · content · current · bowl · kick · bound · cap

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. club — a group
  3. current — electric
  4. bound — obliged
  5. cap — of ice
  6. spell — letters
  7. cap — a lid
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. spell — a short time
  10. content — the amount
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. bound — tied together
  14. current — of water
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. kick — in football
  17. club — for golf
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. cap — a hat
  20. current — happening now
  21. spell — magic
  22. bound — certain
  23. club — for dancing
  24. bowl — a dish

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