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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 120 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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. pop — to visit
  3. rest — what's left
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. fork — in a road
  10. clip — to cut
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. rest — what's left
  13. current — of water
  14. chip — to eat
  15. current — electric
  16. dip — to sink
  17. clip — for paper
  18. clip — a video
  19. current — happening now
  20. chip — for betting
  21. pop — soda
  22. rest — a break
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. safe — a strongbox

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