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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. lean — to bend
  3. current — of water
  4. cap — of ice
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. chip — for betting
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. key — in music
  9. key — the most important part
  10. chip — to eat
  11. cap — a lid
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. band — a music group
  14. current — happening now
  15. cap — a hat
  16. current — electric
  17. lean — thin
  18. stock — shares
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. key — for a lock
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. stock — goods
  23. band — a ring
  24. straw — dry grass

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