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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. chip — for betting
  4. bulb — for light
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. current — of water
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. board — to get on
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bat — the animal
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. shower — rain
  16. shower — to wash
  17. chip — to eat
  18. board — a committee
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. current — electric
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. current — happening now
  24. cabinet — ministers

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