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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: cell · current · deal · row · pitcher · content · pass · object

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. current — of water
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. cell — a phone
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. object — an aim
  8. row — to paddle
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. current — happening now
  12. object — a thing
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. current — electric
  15. pass — a permit
  16. cell — in biology
  17. row — a line
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. content — the amount
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. deal — to handle
  22. object — to protest
  23. content — happy
  24. cell — in a prison

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