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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. current — of water
  3. ground — crushed
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. chip — for betting
  6. ground — a position
  7. ground — the earth
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. current — electric
  10. bound — tied together
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. bound — obliged
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. pit — in a race
  15. bound — certain
  16. chip — to eat
  17. net — after costs
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. rock — a stone
  20. net — for catching
  21. net — in sport
  22. pit — a hole
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. current — happening now

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