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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 120 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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. chip — for betting
  3. saw — the tool
  4. field — for sport
  5. saw — the tool
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. chip — to eat
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. rush — hurry
  11. mark — a grade
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. field — farmland
  14. pop — to visit
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. current — happening now
  17. mark — a trace
  18. current — of water
  19. pop — soda
  20. pop — music
  21. perch — the fish
  22. field — a subject
  23. current — electric
  24. perch — for a bird

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