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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 rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. file — a tool
  3. cell — in biology
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. cap — of ice
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. chip — to eat
  8. chip — for betting
  9. current — happening now
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. cap — a lid
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. tube — a container
  15. snap — to click
  16. file — a document
  17. current — of water
  18. cap — a hat
  19. content — happy
  20. content — the amount
  21. file — a line of people
  22. tube — the underground
  23. cell — a phone
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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