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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. sharp — clever
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. season — of the year
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. bat — the animal
  11. current — of water
  12. mate — to breed
  13. mug — a face
  14. mate — a friend
  15. current — electric
  16. chip — to eat
  17. season — in sport
  18. swing — music
  19. mug — to rob
  20. chip — for betting
  21. swing — to play on
  22. swing — in golf
  23. mug — a cup
  24. mate — a partner

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