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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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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: mine · chip · game · bear · toast · saw · ground · current

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. ground — the earth
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. ground — a position
  5. game — wild animals
  6. toast — bread
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bear — the animal
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. current — of water
  11. saw — the tool
  12. current — happening now
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. mine — for digging
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. chip — to eat
  17. current — electric
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. ground — crushed
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. chip — for betting
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. game — a match

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