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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. chip — to eat
  3. current — happening now
  4. staff — employees
  5. bulb — for light
  6. staff — employees
  7. object — a thing
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. object — to protest
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. chip — for betting
  14. bound — obliged
  15. clip — for paper
  16. object — an aim
  17. pitch — completely
  18. current — of water
  19. clip — a video
  20. bound — tied together
  21. clip — to cut
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. current — electric
  24. bound — certain

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