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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. fine — high quality
  3. pop — to visit
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. land — a country
  6. root — the cause
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. current — of water
  9. kid — to tease
  10. chip — for betting
  11. current — happening now
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. kid — child
  14. land — ground
  15. bass — the fish
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. pop — music
  18. current — electric
  19. root — of a word
  20. root — of a plant
  21. pop — soda
  22. bass — low music
  23. chip — to eat
  24. land — to come down

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