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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  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. chip — for betting
  2. date — the fruit
  3. cold — an illness
  4. board — to get on
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. kid — to tease
  11. current — happening now
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. current — of water
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. bear — the animal
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. bear — the animal
  18. kid — child
  19. sharp — clever
  20. board — a committee
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. current — electric
  23. cold — not warm
  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