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

Word bank: kick · chip · race · bulb · cold · stand · current · ruler

  1. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. cold — not warm
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. race — the arms race
  7. race — a contest
  8. stand — to bear
  9. chip — for betting
  10. bulb — for light
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. bulb — for light
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. current — happening now
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. current — of water
  18. kick — in football
  19. chip — to eat
  20. current — electric
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. race — humankind
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. kick — with a leg

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