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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 lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. current — electric
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. wind — moving air
  5. stock — shares
  6. charge — in control
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. scale — size or range
  9. current — of water
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. charge — electricity
  13. scale — in music
  14. chip — for betting
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. wind — moving air
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. chip — to eat
  20. charge — a price
  21. chest — of your body
  22. chest — of your body
  23. current — happening now
  24. stock — goods

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