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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. lean — to bend
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. hand — in cards
  5. hand — help
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. current — of water
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. pitch — completely
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. lean — thin
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. chip — for betting
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. pop — soda
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. current — electric
  18. pop — music
  19. craft — a skill
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. craft — boats
  22. current — happening now
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. pop — to visit

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