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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. current — happening now
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. mate — a partner
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. current — of water
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. clip — for paper
  10. chip — for betting
  11. ball — a dance
  12. can — a tin
  13. ball — a great time
  14. chip — to eat
  15. current — electric
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. mate — a friend
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. clip — to cut
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. clip — a video
  22. can — a tin
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. can — to be able to

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