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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. mate — to breed
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. toast — bread
  5. current — of water
  6. plane — a tool
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. current — electric
  9. pop — to visit
  10. pop — soda
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. squash — the sport
  13. squash — to crush
  14. lean — thin
  15. lean — to bend
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. pop — music
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. mate — a friend
  20. chip — to eat
  21. current — happening now
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. mate — a partner
  24. plane — in geometry

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