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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. current — of water
  3. pop — soda
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. spring — a coil
  6. chip — for betting
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. chip — to eat
  9. staff — employees
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. hand — help
  12. bear — the animal
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. staff — employees
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. current — happening now
  17. current — electric
  18. spring — of water
  19. pop — to visit
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. staff — a stick
  22. pop — music
  23. spring — the season
  24. bear — the animal

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