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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. wake — a trail
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. current — happening now
  7. chip — to eat
  8. current — electric
  9. stock — shares
  10. spell — a short time
  11. stock — goods
  12. content — the amount
  13. swing — music
  14. content — happy
  15. swing — to play on
  16. swing — in golf
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. current — of water
  19. spell — letters
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. spell — magic
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. chip — in a computer

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