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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. chip — for betting
  3. current — happening now
  4. net — after costs
  5. current — electric
  6. race — humankind
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. chip — to eat
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. race — a contest
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. deal — to handle
  17. plane — a tool
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. net — in sport
  20. race — the arms race
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. current — of water
  24. plane — an aircraft

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