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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. current — happening now
  6. land — ground
  7. shower — to wash
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. current — of water
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. chip — to eat
  13. chip — for betting
  14. scale — in music
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. scale — size or range
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. current — electric
  20. content — the amount
  21. shower — rain
  22. land — a country
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. content — happy

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