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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 120 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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. sharp — clever
  5. fall — to drop
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. deal — to handle
  8. fall — the season
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. chip — for betting
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. present — the time now
  13. chip — to eat
  14. fall — to drop
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. current — of water
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. present — a gift
  22. current — electric
  23. present — there
  24. current — happening now

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