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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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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. current — electric
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. game — a match
  7. bulb — for light
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. board — a committee
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. current — of water
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. board — to get on
  16. game — wild animals
  17. current — happening now
  18. bulb — for light
  19. wind — moving air
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. content — happy
  24. wind — moving air

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