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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 116 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: kick · club · current · bulb · racket · content · cap · bark

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. club — for dancing
  4. club — a group
  5. cap — a hat
  6. current — of water
  7. cap — of ice
  8. club — for golf
  9. bulb — for light
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. current — electric
  13. content — happy
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. bark — to shout
  18. current — happening now
  19. kick — in football
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. bulb — for light
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. content — the amount

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