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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. staff — employees
  3. charge — electricity
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. chip — for betting
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. staff — employees
  8. file — a line of people
  9. capital — a city
  10. race — the arms race
  11. chip — to eat
  12. file — a document
  13. race — a contest
  14. charge — a price
  15. race — humankind
  16. staff — a stick
  17. current — electric
  18. current — happening now
  19. file — a tool
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. charge — in control
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. capital — money
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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