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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. current — electric
  4. chip — for betting
  5. current — happening now
  6. chair — a leader
  7. scale — in music
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. mark — a trace
  11. plane — a tool
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. current — of water
  16. stock — goods
  17. stock — shares
  18. mark — a grade
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. chip — to eat
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. chair — a professorship

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