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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 124 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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. pit — a hole
  3. roll — a cake
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. pit — in a race
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. rest — what's left
  9. chip — to eat
  10. wax — to grow
  11. saw — the tool
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. saw — the tool
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. current — happening now
  16. roll — a list
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. rest — what's left
  19. mine — for digging
  20. chip — for betting
  21. current — of water
  22. current — electric
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. rest — a break

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