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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. chip — to eat
  3. chip — for betting
  4. current — of water
  5. object — an aim
  6. mate — to breed
  7. mate — a partner
  8. rock — a stone
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. current — happening now
  11. pound — a weight
  12. rock — music
  13. current — electric
  14. wound — an injury
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. rule — government
  18. wound — an injury
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. rule — a law
  21. object — to protest
  22. object — a thing
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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