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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. current — happening now
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. current — of water
  5. snap — to click
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. current — electric
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. bear — the animal
  10. suit — clothes
  11. chip — for betting
  12. bear — the animal
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. suit — to fit
  15. suit — in cards
  16. pit — a hole
  17. land — a country
  18. row — a line
  19. land — to come down
  20. row — to paddle
  21. land — ground
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. chip — to eat
  24. pit — in a race

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