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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 surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  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 — of the sea
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. ball — a great time
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. chip — to eat
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. bear — the animal
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. current — happening now
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. current — electric
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. ball — a dance
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. bear — the animal
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. chip — for betting
  21. dip — to sink
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  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