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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  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. rest — a break
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. stock — goods
  7. current — happening now
  8. foot — a measure
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. current — of water
  11. wound — an injury
  12. wound — an injury
  13. rest — what's left
  14. mine — for digging
  15. chip — to eat
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. current — electric
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. rest — what's left
  21. stock — shares
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  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