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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. chip — for betting
  4. chip — to eat
  5. kick — in football
  6. stock — goods
  7. stock — shares
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. pound — a weight
  10. board — to get on
  11. current — electric
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. current — of water
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. sharp — clever
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. board — a committee

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