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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. cell — a phone
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. spring — of water
  6. spring — the season
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. squash — to crush
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. current — electric
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. current — of water
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cell — in biology
  18. spring — a coil
  19. squash — the sport
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. chip — to eat
  22. current — happening now
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cell — in a prison

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