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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  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. ball — a round shape
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. current — happening now
  4. current — of water
  5. bulb — for light
  6. net — after costs
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. net — in sport
  10. bulb — for light
  11. ball — a great time
  12. ball — a dance
  13. wound — an injury
  14. wound — an injury
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. net — for catching
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. chip — to eat
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. current — electric
  23. trunk — of a tree
  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