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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: content · current · scale · cue · game · suit · fork · press

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. scale — size or range
  4. suit — clothes
  5. game — a match
  6. suit — to fit
  7. cue — for pool
  8. press — a publisher
  9. content — the amount
  10. current — electric
  11. suit — in cards
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. scale — in music
  14. current — of water
  15. press — to push
  16. content — happy
  17. press — newspapers
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. cue — a hint
  21. current — happening now
  22. game — wild animals
  23. cue — a signal
  24. fork — in a road

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