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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. ball — a dance
  3. chip — for betting
  4. pit — a hole
  5. current — happening now
  6. land — to come down
  7. current — electric
  8. ball — a great time
  9. mate — a friend
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. land — a country
  13. club — for golf
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. mate — a partner
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. current — of water
  18. club — a group
  19. chip — to eat
  20. pit — in a race
  21. mate — to breed
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. land — ground

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