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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. fork — in a road
  3. file — a line of people
  4. current — happening now
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. spell — letters
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. chest — of your body
  9. current — of water
  10. can — to be able to
  11. chip — to eat
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. spell — magic
  14. chest — of your body
  15. file — a tool
  16. can — a tin
  17. current — electric
  18. tube — a container
  19. chip — for betting
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. tube — the underground
  22. file — a document
  23. can — a tin
  24. chest — a box

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