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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. land — ground
  3. rule — government
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. season — in sport
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. land — to come down
  8. current — electric
  9. scale — in music
  10. current — happening now
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. scale — size or range
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. suit — in cards
  17. season — of the year
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. land — a country
  20. suit — to fit
  21. rule — a law
  22. chip — for betting
  23. chip — to eat
  24. suit — clothes

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