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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. pit — a hole
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. content — the amount
  8. cue — a signal
  9. pit — in a race
  10. chest — of your body
  11. chest — a box
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. bulb — for light
  16. chip — to eat
  17. current — happening now
  18. chest — of your body
  19. cue — for pool
  20. content — happy
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. chip — for betting
  23. current — of water
  24. cue — a hint

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