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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. current — happening now
  4. court — for sport
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. chip — for betting
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. chip — to eat
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. mine — for digging
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. court — of law
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. pit — in a race
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. pit — a hole
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. current — electric
  23. current — of water
  24. court — of a king

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