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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: root · ball · content · bat · current · bore · clip · mark

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. ball — a great time
  4. clip — for paper
  5. current — of water
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. content — happy
  8. mark — a trace
  9. root — of a word
  10. root — the cause
  11. bore — to drill
  12. current — happening now
  13. bat — the animal
  14. clip — a video
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. ball — a dance
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. root — of a plant
  19. content — the amount
  20. clip — to cut
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. bore — to tire
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. mark — a grade

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