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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 120 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 strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. bulb — for light
  3. current — electric
  4. scale — size or range
  5. bulb — for light
  6. press — newspapers
  7. spring — the season
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. spring — a coil
  12. chip — for betting
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. scale — in music
  17. foot — a measure
  18. press — to push
  19. press — a publisher
  20. current — of water
  21. spring — of water
  22. wind — moving air
  23. chip — to eat
  24. current — happening now

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