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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. wind — moving air
  3. root — the cause
  4. chip — for betting
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. race — the arms race
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. mine — for digging
  10. chip — to eat
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. current — electric
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. wind — moving air
  15. race — a contest
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. race — humankind
  20. root — of a plant
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. current — of water
  23. root — of a word
  24. current — happening now

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