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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. current — of water
  3. cue — for pool
  4. track — to keep track
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. rash — hasty
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. chip — for betting
  10. current — electric
  11. cue — a hint
  12. chip — to eat
  13. track — a song
  14. cue — a signal
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. track — a path
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. plane — a tool
  21. branch — a division
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. current — happening now
  24. branch — of a tree

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