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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 116 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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. current — of water
  3. game — wild animals
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. wake — a trail
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. game — a match
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. perch — the fish
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. dip — to sink
  12. current — electric
  13. chip — for betting
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. current — happening now
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. prune — to trim
  22. prune — to trim
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. chip — to eat

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