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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 120 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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. prune — to trim
  3. suit — in cards
  4. chip — to eat
  5. ball — a dance
  6. suit — clothes
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. tear — to rip
  11. season — in sport
  12. row — to paddle
  13. row — a line
  14. chip — for betting
  15. tear — from crying
  16. current — of water
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. current — happening now
  19. season — of the year
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. ball — a great time
  22. tear — from crying
  23. suit — to fit
  24. prune — to trim

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