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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  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. current — electric
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. spell — letters
  4. deal — to handle
  5. mine — for digging
  6. current — of water
  7. content — happy
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. spell — magic
  10. bear — the animal
  11. current — happening now
  12. cue — a signal
  13. chip — for betting
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. spell — a short time
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. cue — for pool
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. bear — the animal
  20. cue — a hint
  21. content — the amount
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. chip — to eat

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