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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 120 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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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: content · stem · chair · kick · arm · prune · current · deal

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. content — happy
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. current — electric
  9. content — the amount
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. chair — a leader
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. current — happening now
  15. deal — to handle
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. prune — to trim
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. prune — to trim
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. stem — to come from
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. current — of water

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