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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. court — of law
  4. stand — to bear
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. pop — to visit
  7. chip — to eat
  8. court — for sport
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. pop — music
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. march — music
  13. march — the month
  14. march — the month
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. current — happening now
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. court — of a king
  20. current — electric
  21. current — of water
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. pop — soda
  24. chip — in a computer

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