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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  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. wound — an injury
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. wound — an injury
  5. current — electric
  6. degree — temperature
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. degree — an amount
  9. swing — music
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. chip — to eat
  13. prune — to trim
  14. degree — from a university
  15. chip — for betting
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. swing — in golf
  21. current — happening now
  22. prune — to trim
  23. swing — to play on
  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