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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: bear · file · kick · roll · content · date · current · toast

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. current — happening now
  3. file — a document
  4. file — a tool
  5. roll — a cake
  6. bear — the animal
  7. toast — bread
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. current — of water
  10. roll — a list
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. content — the amount
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. date — the fruit
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. content — happy
  21. kick — in football
  22. current — electric
  23. bear — the animal
  24. file — a line of people

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