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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. spring — of water
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. chip — for betting
  7. prune — to trim
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. spring — a coil
  11. net — in sport
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. pass — a permit
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. current — happening now
  17. net — for catching
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. spring — the season
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. chip — to eat
  22. net — after costs
  23. prune — to trim
  24. current — electric

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