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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. saw — the tool
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. content — the amount
  7. game — a match
  8. current — electric
  9. foot — a measure
  10. current — of water
  11. chip — for betting
  12. content — happy
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. game — wild animals
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. cell — a phone
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. chip — to eat
  20. current — happening now
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. saw — the tool

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