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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. file — a document
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. band — a ring
  7. current — happening now
  8. net — for catching
  9. net — after costs
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. current — electric
  13. current — of water
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. band — a music group
  16. net — in sport
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. file — a line of people
  20. file — a tool
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. chip — to eat
  23. mine — for digging
  24. chip — for betting

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