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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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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: current · stick · rock · firm · cell · kick · content · tube

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. kick — in football
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. firm — steady
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. content — the amount
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. current — electric
  10. rock — music
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. firm — decided
  13. current — of water
  14. content — happy
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. cell — in biology
  18. tube — the underground
  19. current — happening now
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. cell — a phone
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. rock — a stone
  24. firm — a company

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