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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: kick · pit · current · net · chip · content · pop · temple

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. current — of water
  3. pit — a hole
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. current — electric
  7. net — for catching
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. kick — in football
  11. current — happening now
  12. pop — soda
  13. pop — music
  14. net — in sport
  15. chip — to eat
  16. chip — for betting
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. net — after costs
  19. pop — to visit
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. content — the amount
  22. content — happy
  23. pit — in a race
  24. temple — a place of worship

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