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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. firm — a company
  3. pop — music
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. pop — soda
  6. land — a country
  7. firm — steady
  8. chip — for betting
  9. mark — a grade
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. current — of water
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. current — electric
  15. current — happening now
  16. land — to come down
  17. clip — a video
  18. pop — to visit
  19. chip — to eat
  20. clip — to cut
  21. mark — a trace
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. land — ground
  24. clip — for paper

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