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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. sharp — clever
  3. pop — music
  4. current — electric
  5. stand — to bear
  6. pop — soda
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. hand — in cards
  9. current — of water
  10. prune — to trim
  11. chip — for betting
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. current — happening now
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. chip — to eat
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. pop — to visit
  21. hand — help
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. prune — to trim
  24. sharp — exactly

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