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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: kid · staff · can · bear · current · foot · chip · content

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. content — happy
  3. kid — to tease
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. current — of water
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. foot — a measure
  8. chip — to eat
  9. can — to be able to
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. staff — employees
  12. content — the amount
  13. staff — employees
  14. kid — child
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. can — a tin
  17. can — a tin
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. staff — a stick
  20. chip — for betting
  21. bear — the animal
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. current — happening now
  24. current — electric

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