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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
468
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: capital · content · current · pit · saw · deal · foot · mine

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. mine — for digging
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. content — happy
  5. pit — in a race
  6. current — electric
  7. saw — the tool
  8. pit — a hole
  9. current — happening now
  10. deal — to handle
  11. current — of water
  12. capital — a city
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. capital — money
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. foot — a measure
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. content — the amount
  22. saw — the tool
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. foot — the bottom

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