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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. suit — clothes
  4. court — for sport
  5. net — for catching
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. suit — to fit
  8. chip — for betting
  9. rest — what's left
  10. current — of water
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. net — in sport
  13. suit — in cards
  14. net — after costs
  15. court — of law
  16. swing — in golf
  17. current — electric
  18. rest — what's left
  19. court — of a king
  20. rest — a break
  21. swing — to play on
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. current — happening now
  24. swing — music

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