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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. land — ground
  3. land — a country
  4. rash — a series
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. bass — the fish
  7. chip — for betting
  8. rock — a stone
  9. rock — music
  10. rash — hasty
  11. chip — to eat
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. last — to go on
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. current — happening now
  16. last — final
  17. bass — low music
  18. current — electric
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. dip — to sink
  22. current — of water
  23. last — finally
  24. chip — in a computer

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