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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. bass — low music
  3. cell — a phone
  4. march — the month
  5. current — happening now
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — a tin
  8. mate — a friend
  9. march — the month
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. cell — in biology
  12. march — music
  13. bass — the fish
  14. current — of water
  15. mate — to breed
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. mate — a partner
  19. chip — for betting
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. can — to be able to
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. current — electric
  24. chip — to eat

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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