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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 124 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 potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. ball — a dance
  3. rush — hurry
  4. current — electric
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. foot — a measure
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. ground — a position
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. bulb — for light
  14. ground — the earth
  15. chip — for betting
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. current — happening now
  18. ball — a great time
  19. ground — crushed
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. current — of water
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. bulb — for light

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