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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. chip — for betting
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. bass — the fish
  5. clip — for paper
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. club — for dancing
  8. club — a group
  9. clip — to cut
  10. bass — low music
  11. current — electric
  12. chip — to eat
  13. current — of water
  14. fork — in a road
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. clip — a video
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. club — for golf

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