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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. pound — a weight
  4. scale — size or range
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. last — finally
  7. current — of water
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. current — electric
  10. last — final
  11. current — happening now
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. rush — hurry
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. saw — the tool
  17. saw — the tool
  18. last — to go on
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. chip — for betting
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. scale — in music

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