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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. mug — a cup
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mug — a face
  6. chip — to eat
  7. court — of law
  8. cap — a lid
  9. mug — to rob
  10. game — wild animals
  11. current — electric
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. current — happening now
  14. game — a match
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. firm — a company
  17. chip — for betting
  18. cap — a hat
  19. firm — decided
  20. court — for sport
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. firm — steady
  23. cap — of ice
  24. court — of a king

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