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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. net — for catching
  3. bat — the animal
  4. current — happening now
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. net — after costs
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. rush — hurry
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. net — in sport
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. current — of water
  13. current — electric
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. bass — the fish
  16. chip — for betting
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. chip — to eat
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. bass — low music

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