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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. current — happening now
  5. current — of water
  6. pop — music
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. pop — to visit
  10. saw — the tool
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. pop — soda
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. season — of the year
  15. chip — for betting
  16. season — in sport
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. saw — the tool
  20. row — to paddle
  21. chip — to eat
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. row — a line
  24. snap — to click

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