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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: ground · content · cue · bark · safe · current · chip · kick

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  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. ground — the earth
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. bark — to shout
  4. chip — to eat
  5. content — happy
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. ground — crushed
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. current — electric
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. cue — a signal
  17. ground — a position
  18. cue — for pool
  19. cue — a hint
  20. chip — for betting
  21. current — happening now
  22. current — of water
  23. kick — in football
  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