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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. chip — for betting
  3. cap — a hat
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. wake — a trail
  6. current — of water
  7. craft — boats
  8. bulb — for light
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. cap — of ice
  11. craft — a skill
  12. club — for golf
  13. club — for dancing
  14. cap — a lid
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. chip — to eat
  17. bulb — for light
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. current — electric
  21. current — happening now
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. club — a group
  24. wake — before a funeral

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