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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  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. cabinet — ministers
  2. rash — a series
  3. prune — to trim
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. ground — the earth
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. current — happening now
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. bear — the animal
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. prune — to trim
  16. ground — a position
  17. bear — the animal
  18. chip — to eat
  19. current — electric
  20. ground — crushed
  21. rash — hasty
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. chip — for betting
  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