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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  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. current — happening now
  2. game — wild animals
  3. game — a match
  4. chip — to eat
  5. mug — to rob
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. rest — what's left
  9. current — of water
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. mug — a cup
  12. rest — what's left
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. plane — a tool
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. current — electric
  17. mug — a face
  18. court — of a king
  19. chip — for betting
  20. fork — in a road
  21. court — for sport
  22. rest — a break
  23. court — of law
  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