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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. last — finally
  3. tear — from crying
  4. last — to go on
  5. chip — to eat
  6. can — a tin
  7. pop — to visit
  8. current — happening now
  9. current — of water
  10. rest — what's left
  11. can — a tin
  12. tear — from crying
  13. cell — in biology
  14. tear — to rip
  15. rest — a break
  16. current — electric
  17. last — final
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. rest — what's left
  20. can — to be able to
  21. pop — soda
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. pop — music
  24. cell — a phone

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