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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: capital · content · cue · dip · pop · current · calf · ground

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. capital — a city
  3. ground — the earth
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. current — happening now
  6. current — of water
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. current — electric
  9. cue — for pool
  10. content — the amount
  11. ground — a position
  12. pop — music
  13. content — happy
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. pop — to visit
  17. capital — money
  18. pop — soda
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. ground — crushed
  21. cue — a hint
  22. dip — to sink
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. cue — a signal

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