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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. kid — child
  3. chip — to eat
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. current — happening now
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. chip — for betting
  11. deal — to handle
  12. kid — to tease
  13. row — to paddle
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. suit — to fit
  17. current — electric
  18. row — a line
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. suit — in cards
  22. shower — rain
  23. current — of water
  24. shower — to wash

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