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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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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 · kick · racket · ruler · ball · net · chip · current

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. ball — a great time
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. current — happening now
  6. net — after costs
  7. content — the amount
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. net — for catching
  10. current — of water
  11. kick — in football
  12. chip — to eat
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. chip — for betting
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. net — in sport
  20. content — happy
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. ball — a dance
  23. current — electric
  24. chip — in a computer

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