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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · cabinet · bound · current · kick · content · mark · fine

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  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. cabinet — ministers
  2. mark — a trace
  3. mark — a grade
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. current — electric
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. content — the amount
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. current — of water
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. content — happy
  13. fine — high quality
  14. kick — in football
  15. bound — obliged
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. bound — tied together
  21. bound — certain
  22. mine — for digging
  23. fine — all right
  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