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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. mate — to breed
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. mate — a partner
  7. chip — for betting
  8. current — electric
  9. date — the fruit
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. current — of water
  15. mate — a friend
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. chip — to eat
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. nail — for a hammer

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