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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. chip — for betting
  4. saw — the tool
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. chip — to eat
  7. current — happening now
  8. land — to come down
  9. cue — for pool
  10. cue — a signal
  11. chest — a box
  12. land — ground
  13. chest — of your body
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. saw — the tool
  18. chest — of your body
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. cue — a hint
  21. current — of water
  22. land — a country
  23. current — electric
  24. fan — a supporter

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