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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. file — a line of people
  3. file — a document
  4. current — electric
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. capital — money
  7. chip — to eat
  8. press — to push
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. current — happening now
  11. current — of water
  12. press — newspapers
  13. capital — a city
  14. game — wild animals
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. bass — low music
  17. press — a publisher
  18. chip — for betting
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. file — a tool
  21. game — a match
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. lie — to recline
  24. lie — an untruth

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