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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. lean — thin
  4. capital — money
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. squash — to crush
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. current — happening now
  10. current — electric
  11. current — of water
  12. lean — to bend
  13. chest — of your body
  14. rock — a stone
  15. band — a ring
  16. chest — of your body
  17. chip — for betting
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. squash — the sport
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. chip — to eat
  22. rock — music
  23. band — a music group
  24. capital — a city

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