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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 120 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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. bound — obliged
  5. current — electric
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. chip — to eat
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. mark — a grade
  11. mark — a trace
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. current — happening now
  15. cell — in biology
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. bound — tied together
  19. net — for catching
  20. bound — certain
  21. cell — a phone
  22. current — of water
  23. net — after costs
  24. chip — for betting

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