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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. rest — a break
  5. deal — to handle
  6. chip — to eat
  7. chest — of your body
  8. clip — a video
  9. rest — what's left
  10. clip — for paper
  11. rest — what's left
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. current — electric
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. chest — a box
  17. current — of water
  18. cue — a signal
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. cue — for pool
  21. current — happening now
  22. clip — to cut
  23. cue — a hint
  24. chest — of your body

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