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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. rule — a law
  3. bank — for money
  4. mate — to breed
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. current — of water
  7. bank — of a river
  8. chip — to eat
  9. current — happening now
  10. pop — to visit
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. current — electric
  13. pop — soda
  14. mate — a partner
  15. ball — a great time
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. rule — government
  18. ball — a dance
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. bank — for money
  21. chip — for betting
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. mate — a friend

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