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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. land — ground
  4. rash — hasty
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. foot — a measure
  7. current — happening now
  8. land — to come down
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. current — electric
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. land — a country
  15. rash — a series
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. chip — for betting
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. current — of water
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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