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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. current — electric
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. march — music
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. key — the most important part
  9. current — of water
  10. wake — a trail
  11. mate — to breed
  12. chip — to eat
  13. mate — a partner
  14. key — for a lock
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. current — happening now
  17. march — the month
  18. key — in music
  19. march — the month
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. roll — a list
  22. roll — a cake
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. mate — a friend

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