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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. saw — the tool
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. ball — a great time
  5. current — happening now
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. current — electric
  9. chest — a box
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. chest — of your body
  12. chip — to eat
  13. chip — for betting
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. object — an aim
  16. ball — a dance
  17. object — to protest
  18. saw — the tool
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. current — of water
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. chest — of your body
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. bat — the animal

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