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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. pit — in a race
  4. current — happening now
  5. chip — for betting
  6. scale — size or range
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. file — a tool
  9. chip — to eat
  10. current — electric
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. pop — music
  13. pop — soda
  14. file — a document
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. sharp — clever
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. file — a line of people
  19. current — of water
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. pop — to visit
  23. rush — hurry
  24. pit — a hole

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