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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. rash — a series
  3. staff — a stick
  4. fine — all right
  5. chip — to eat
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. fine — high quality
  9. ground — the earth
  10. current — happening now
  11. rash — hasty
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. cap — a hat
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. staff — employees
  17. ground — crushed
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. cap — of ice
  20. cap — a lid
  21. ground — a position
  22. current — electric
  23. staff — employees
  24. current — of water

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