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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. current — happening now
  4. content — the amount
  5. swing — to play on
  6. swing — in golf
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. bulb — for light
  9. chip — to eat
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. bat — the animal
  12. current — electric
  13. bulb — for light
  14. current — of water
  15. content — happy
  16. chip — for betting
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. saw — the tool
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — to be able to
  21. saw — the tool
  22. can — a tin
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. swing — music

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