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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. chip — for betting
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. swing — in golf
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. firm — steady
  11. swing — to play on
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. chip — to eat
  14. pound — a weight
  15. wound — an injury
  16. current — happening now
  17. firm — a company
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. deal — to handle
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. wound — an injury
  22. firm — decided
  23. current — of water
  24. swing — 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