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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. current — happening now
  7. mate — to breed
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. chip — to eat
  10. ball — a great time
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. current — of water
  13. current — electric
  14. mate — a friend
  15. fine — high quality
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. fork — in a road
  20. fine — all right
  21. ball — a dance
  22. chip — for betting
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. fine — a penalty

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