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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. rule — a law
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. game — a match
  5. chip — for betting
  6. rule — government
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. chip — to eat
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. rash — a series
  12. rash — hasty
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. current — electric
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. game — wild animals
  18. current — of water

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