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

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. chip — for betting
  3. firm — a company
  4. cell — a phone
  5. firm — steady
  6. spell — a short time
  7. branch — a division
  8. spell — magic
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. current — electric
  12. chip — to eat
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. spell — letters
  15. cell — in biology
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. current — happening now
  18. firm — decided

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