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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 116 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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. hand — help
  3. craft — a skill
  4. fine — all right
  5. hand — in cards
  6. craft — boats
  7. current — happening now
  8. current — of water
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. fall — to drop
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. wake — a trail
  17. fine — high quality
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. current — electric
  20. fall — the season
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. fall — to drop
  24. chip — to eat

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