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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: bank · mark · can · current · root · pound · content · sharp

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. can — to be able to
  3. mark — a grade
  4. bank — for money
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. can — a tin
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. current — electric
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. root — the cause
  11. content — happy
  12. can — a tin
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. bank — for money
  15. sharp — clever
  16. root — of a plant
  17. pound — a weight
  18. current — of water
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. mark — a trace
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. current — happening now
  23. bank — of a river
  24. root — of a word

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