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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: game · bore · mine · squash · current · fall · chip · pound

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. squash — to crush
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. current — electric
  5. fall — to drop
  6. pound — a weight
  7. mine — for digging
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. current — happening now
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. fall — the season
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. chip — to eat
  16. bore — to tire
  17. game — wild animals
  18. squash — the sport
  19. game — a match
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. bore — to drill
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. current — of water
  24. fall — to drop

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