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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 124 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 newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. plane — a tool
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. chip — for betting
  5. current — electric
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. press — to push
  9. current — happening now
  10. foot — a measure
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. fork — in a road
  13. press — newspapers
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. chip — to eat
  21. press — a publisher
  22. current — of water
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fork — a garden tool

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