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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 120 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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.

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. current — happening now
  4. court — of law
  5. court — of a king
  6. board — a committee
  7. spring — the season
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. current — electric
  10. spring — of water
  11. chip — to eat
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. dip — to sink
  16. board — to get on
  17. spring — a coil
  18. court — for sport

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