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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 124 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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. current — happening now
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. prune — to trim
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. fork — in a road
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. current — electric
  10. prune — to trim
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. current — of water
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. chip — for betting
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. kid — child
  18. mark — a grade
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. mark — a trace
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. kid — to tease

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