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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. land — a country
  4. chip — to eat
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. key — in music
  7. current — electric
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. land — to come down
  12. key — for a lock
  13. scale — in music
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. land — ground
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. current — of water
  18. key — the most important part
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. chip — for betting
  21. current — happening now
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. fan — a supporter

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