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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: straw · mark · bear · dip · content · row · pass · current

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. current — electric
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. current — of water
  5. pass — a permit
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. row — a line
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. mark — a grade
  12. dip — to sink
  13. current — happening now
  14. bear — the animal
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. row — to paddle
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. mark — a trace
  19. content — happy
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. content — the amount

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