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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. spring — the season
  3. degree — an amount
  4. spring — a coil
  5. chip — for betting
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. band — a ring
  9. current — happening now
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. can — a tin
  12. lean — thin
  13. current — of water
  14. degree — from a university
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. band — a music group
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. lean — to bend
  20. can — to be able to
  21. spring — of water
  22. current — electric
  23. degree — temperature
  24. can — a tin

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