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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. content — the amount
  3. chip — to eat
  4. bulb — for light
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. tube — the underground
  7. wound — an injury
  8. current — happening now
  9. chip — for betting
  10. current — of water
  11. net — after costs
  12. bulb — for light
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. content — happy
  16. board — to get on
  17. net — in sport
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. wound — an injury
  20. net — for catching
  21. current — electric
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. tube — a container

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