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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. chip — for betting
  3. object — an aim
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. current — of water
  8. rest — what's left
  9. net — in sport
  10. board — to get on
  11. current — electric
  12. mine — for digging
  13. rest — a break
  14. pop — soda
  15. pop — to visit
  16. net — after costs
  17. board — a committee
  18. rest — what's left
  19. object — to protest
  20. net — for catching
  21. chip — to eat
  22. pop — music
  23. current — happening now
  24. object — a thing

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