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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. march — the month
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. march — music
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. pass — a permit
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. chip — for betting
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. current — happening now
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. current — of water
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. march — the month
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. chip — to eat
  23. current — electric
  24. mine — for digging

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