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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: content · current · fork · cell · chip · key · kid · bulb

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. content — happy
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. bulb — for light
  5. current — electric
  6. chip — to eat
  7. chip — for betting
  8. key — in music
  9. kid — to tease
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. content — the amount
  12. key — the most important part
  13. cell — a phone
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. kid — child
  16. cell — in biology
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. bulb — for light
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. key — for a lock
  22. current — happening now
  23. current — of water
  24. cell — in a prison

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