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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. bulb — for light
  3. chip — to eat
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. current — of water
  8. season — in sport
  9. season — of the year
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. current — happening now
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. cap — a lid
  16. wind — moving air
  17. current — electric
  18. cap — of ice
  19. chip — for betting
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. bulb — for light
  22. cap — a hat
  23. wake — a trail
  24. wind — moving air

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