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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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Word bank
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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: current · calf · bulb · chest · can · band · chip · content

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. can — a tin
  3. content — happy
  4. bulb — for light
  5. band — a ring
  6. can — to be able to
  7. bulb — for light
  8. chest — a box
  9. current — of water
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. chip — for betting
  13. can — a tin
  14. current — happening now
  15. chip — to eat
  16. current — electric
  17. chest — of your body
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. band — a music group
  22. chest — of your body
  23. content — the amount
  24. chip — in a computer

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