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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 120 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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. current — happening now
  3. mug — a face
  4. mug — a cup
  5. chip — for betting
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. current — electric
  8. track — to keep track
  9. swing — to play on
  10. track — a path
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. prune — to trim
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. chip — to eat
  15. prune — to trim
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. wind — moving air
  18. current — of water
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. swing — music
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. track — a song
  23. swing — in golf
  24. wind — moving air

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