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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. rash — a series
  3. chip — to eat
  4. key — in music
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. current — of water
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. game — a match
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. perch — the fish
  12. cap — a lid
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. game — wild animals
  15. chip — for betting
  16. cap — a hat
  17. key — the most important part
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. current — happening now
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. cap — of ice
  22. current — electric
  23. rash — hasty
  24. key — for a lock

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