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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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. chest — of your body
  3. file — a document
  4. dip — to sink
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. current — of water
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. bulb — for light
  11. rock — a stone
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. current — electric
  14. rock — music
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. current — happening now
  17. file — a tool
  18. capital — money
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. capital — a city
  21. chest — a box
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. bulb — for light
  24. file — a line of people

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