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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 · roll · bowl · mine · mug · current · game · cue

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. current — happening now
  3. mug — to rob
  4. current — electric
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. cue — a hint
  7. content — happy
  8. roll — a list
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. game — wild animals
  11. mine — for digging
  12. roll — a cake
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. mug — a cup
  15. mug — a face
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. current — of water
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. content — the amount
  22. cue — a signal
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. cue — for pool

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