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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. fine — high quality
  3. file — a document
  4. net — in sport
  5. staff — employees
  6. chip — to eat
  7. net — for catching
  8. file — a line of people
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. plane — a tool
  12. current — electric
  13. fine — all right
  14. branch — a division
  15. file — a tool
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. staff — employees
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. current — of water
  20. staff — a stick
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. chip — for betting
  23. net — after costs
  24. plane — an aircraft

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