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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. field — a subject
  4. current — happening now
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. rule — government
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. field — farmland
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. current — electric
  14. rush — hurry
  15. rule — a law
  16. chip — for betting
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. current — of water
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. chip — to eat
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. field — for sport
  24. pitcher — a jug

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