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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 124 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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. ball — a dance
  4. roll — a cake
  5. land — ground
  6. pit — in a race
  7. land — a country
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. current — happening now
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. ball — a great time
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. pit — a hole
  15. land — to come down
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. chip — for betting
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. chip — to eat
  21. roll — a list
  22. foot — a measure
  23. current — of water
  24. roll — on a roll

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