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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 120 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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. current — of water
  3. game — wild animals
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. plane — a tool
  8. cold — not warm
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. chip — for betting
  11. current — happening now
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. current — electric
  20. chip — to eat
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. cold — an illness
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. game — a match

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