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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. current — of water
  5. squash — the sport
  6. board — a committee
  7. charge — electricity
  8. current — happening now
  9. mug — a face
  10. cold — not warm
  11. current — electric
  12. chip — to eat
  13. charge — in control
  14. cold — an illness
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. board — to get on
  17. chip — for betting
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. charge — a price
  20. mug — to rob
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. mug — a cup
  23. squash — to crush
  24. deal — a big deal

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