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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. current — of water
  3. rock — a stone
  4. current — happening now
  5. current — electric
  6. chip — for betting
  7. season — in sport
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. wind — moving air
  12. wind — moving air
  13. season — of the year
  14. cue — a signal
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. rock — music
  19. date — the fruit
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. cue — a hint
  23. cue — for pool
  24. rock — to move gently

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