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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. content — the amount
  3. present — there
  4. current — of water
  5. present — a gift
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. race — the arms race
  8. present — the time now
  9. content — happy
  10. chip — for betting
  11. bore — to drill
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. bore — to tire
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. race — a contest
  19. current — happening now
  20. chip — to eat
  21. race — humankind
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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