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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. current — happening now
  3. tube — a container
  4. content — the amount
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. content — happy
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bulb — for light
  10. fine — all right
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. cell — in biology
  14. net — for catching
  15. current — of water
  16. net — in sport
  17. current — electric
  18. net — after costs
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. branch — a division
  22. tube — the underground
  23. fine — high quality
  24. branch — of a bank

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