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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: prune · foot · bank · content · kick · dip · current · stock

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. foot — a measure
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. current — of water
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. bank — for money
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. prune — to trim
  9. current — electric
  10. bank — of a river
  11. kick — in football
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. bank — for money
  16. stock — goods
  17. content — happy
  18. stock — shares
  19. content — the amount
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. current — happening now
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. dip — to sink

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