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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 120 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: lean · content · fork · current · cell · row · staff · pitcher

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. current — of water
  4. content — the amount
  5. staff — employees
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. current — electric
  8. row — a line
  9. cell — in biology
  10. current — happening now
  11. lean — thin
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. row — to paddle
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. lean — to bend
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. staff — employees
  21. staff — a stick
  22. content — happy
  23. fork — in a road
  24. cell — a phone

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