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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: cell · rule · chip · current · club · track · bulb · pop

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. cell — in biology
  3. track — a song
  4. bulb — for light
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. track — a path
  7. current — of water
  8. club — a group
  9. club — for golf
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. current — happening now
  12. bulb — for light
  13. chip — for betting
  14. cell — a phone
  15. club — for dancing
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. pop — music
  18. chip — to eat
  19. pop — to visit
  20. current — electric
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. track — to keep track
  23. rule — government
  24. rule — a law

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