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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. cell — in biology
  3. current — happening now
  4. current — of water
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. shower — to wash
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. shower — rain
  9. object — an aim
  10. track — a path
  11. band — a music group
  12. band — a ring
  13. chip — for betting
  14. track — a song
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. track — to keep track
  17. chip — to eat
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. object — a thing
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. bat — the animal
  22. object — to protest
  23. cell — a phone
  24. current — electric

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