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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. chip — for betting
  3. face — to confront
  4. object — to protest
  5. face — part of the head
  6. current — of water
  7. saw — the tool
  8. content — the amount
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. object — an aim
  11. content — happy
  12. object — a thing
  13. saw — the tool
  14. current — happening now
  15. chip — to eat
  16. face — to point toward
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. content — videos and posts

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