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

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. current — happening now
  4. sharp — clever
  5. current — electric
  6. chip — for betting
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. tube — a container
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. bass — the fish
  11. current — of water
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. chip — to eat
  17. bass — low music
  18. tube — the underground

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