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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. current — of water
  3. scale — in music
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. content — happy
  8. current — happening now
  9. chip — to eat
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. current — electric
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. scale — size or range
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. mark — a grade
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. content — the amount
  18. chip — for betting

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