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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.

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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: mine · net · content · stand · ground · cell · rush · current

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  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. mine — belonging to me
  2. ground — the earth
  3. cell — in biology
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. net — in sport
  7. stand — to bear
  8. net — after costs
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. content — the amount
  11. ground — a position
  12. ground — crushed
  13. current — happening now
  14. current — of water
  15. mine — for digging
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. current — electric
  19. rush — hurry
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. net — for catching
  22. content — happy
  23. cell — in a prison
  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