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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. current — electric
  4. sharp — clever
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. chip — to eat
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. ball — a dance
  15. mine — for digging
  16. ball — a great time
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. chip — for betting
  20. current — happening now
  21. foot — a measure
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. current — of water

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