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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 116 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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. race — the arms race
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. pound — a weight
  5. current — electric
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. current — happening now
  8. craft — boats
  9. craft — a skill
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. race — a contest
  12. chip — for betting
  13. current — of water
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. tube — a container
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. tube — the underground
  22. race — humankind
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. chip — to eat

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