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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. cap — a lid
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. fork — in a road
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. foot — a measure
  9. snap — to click
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. chip — to eat
  15. cap — of ice
  16. current — of water
  17. lean — thin
  18. lean — to bend
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. current — happening now
  22. cap — a hat
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. current — electric

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