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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. wound — an injury
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. track — a path
  7. track — to keep track
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. chip — to eat
  10. pitch — completely
  11. current — happening now
  12. wound — an injury
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. current — electric
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. track — a song
  17. chip — for betting
  18. wound — past of 'wind'

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