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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. file — a line of people
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. current — happening now
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. file — a tool
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. craft — boats
  12. degree — temperature
  13. chip — for betting
  14. degree — from a university
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. season — in sport
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. current — of water
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. file — a document
  21. craft — a skill
  22. season — of the year
  23. current — electric
  24. degree — an amount

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