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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: suit · bank · clip · current · charge · stick · cell · content

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. suit — to fit
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. clip — for paper
  5. current — of water
  6. bank — for money
  7. charge — in control
  8. clip — a video
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. cell — a phone
  12. current — electric
  13. charge — electricity
  14. bank — for money
  15. content — the amount
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. cell — in biology
  18. charge — a price
  19. clip — to cut
  20. bank — of a river
  21. suit — in cards
  22. suit — clothes
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. current — happening now

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