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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. march — the month
  4. current — happening now
  5. wound — an injury
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. chip — to eat
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. degree — an amount
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. wound — an injury
  12. current — of water
  13. degree — temperature
  14. scale — size or range
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. degree — from a university
  19. march — music
  20. march — the month
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. scale — in music
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. chip — for betting

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