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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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 — of water
  4. current — happening now
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. tube — a container
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. chip — for betting
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. tube — the underground
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. bass — the fish
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. staff — employees
  15. current — electric
  16. bass — low music
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. sharp — clever
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bulb — for light
  22. staff — employees
  23. vault — a safe
  24. bass — the instrument

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