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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. chip — for betting
  7. swing — to play on
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. swing — in golf
  10. mug — to rob
  11. swing — music
  12. board — to get on
  13. mug — a cup
  14. stand — to bear
  15. board — a committee
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. current — electric
  19. chip — to eat
  20. bark — to shout
  21. mug — a face
  22. current — of water
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. stand — on your feet

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