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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. track — a song
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. kid — to tease
  6. track — a path
  7. scale — in music
  8. deal — to handle
  9. track — to keep track
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. current — electric
  12. chip — to eat
  13. current — happening now
  14. scale — size or range
  15. chip — for betting
  16. current — of water
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. snap — to click
  22. dip — to sink
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. deal — a big deal

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