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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. rest — a break
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. rest — what's left
  7. branch — a division
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. mark — a grade
  11. rest — what's left
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. current — electric
  15. current — of water
  16. chip — for betting
  17. game — wild animals
  18. chip — to eat
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. current — happening now
  21. game — a match
  22. mark — a trace
  23. cold — not warm
  24. cold — an illness

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