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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. chip — to eat
  5. current — electric
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. present — a gift
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. bulb — for light
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. mine — for digging
  13. root — of a plant
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. present — there
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. chip — for betting
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. root — the cause
  22. current — of water
  23. present — the time now
  24. root — of a word

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