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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. file — a document
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. bulb — for light
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. bulb — for light
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. scale — in music
  10. scale — size or range
  11. capital — a city
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. file — a tool
  14. current — happening now
  15. chair — a leader
  16. current — of water
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. file — a line of people
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. capital — money
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. scale — for weighing

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