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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. shower — to wash
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. current — electric
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. squash — the sport
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. chip — for betting
  9. current — happening now
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. current — of water
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. game — a match
  16. squash — to crush
  17. key — the most important part
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. game — wild animals
  21. shower — rain
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. chip — to eat
  24. key — for a lock

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