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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. chip — to eat
  3. mark — a trace
  4. scale — size or range
  5. content — the amount
  6. content — happy
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. current — happening now
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. current — electric
  12. mark — a grade
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. chip — for betting
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. current — of water
  24. branch — a division

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