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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.

Make a worksheet

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: content · sharp · bore · staff · current · season · capital · mug

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. current — happening now
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. content — happy
  5. staff — employees
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. season — in sport
  8. capital — money
  9. staff — a stick
  10. capital — a city
  11. season — of the year
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. content — the amount
  14. mug — to rob
  15. staff — employees
  16. current — electric
  17. bore — to tire
  18. sharp — clever
  19. bore — to drill
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. mug — a face
  22. mug — a cup
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. current — of water

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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