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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. chip — for betting
  3. chip — to eat
  4. pop — to visit
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. rash — hasty
  7. ball — a dance
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. current — of water
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. clip — a video
  12. clip — to cut
  13. rash — a series
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. pop — music
  16. ball — a great time
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. pitch — completely
  19. current — happening now
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. pop — soda
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. clip — for paper

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