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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: mouse · rush · scale · pit · kid · chip · game · current

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. game — a match
  3. kid — child
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. rush — hurry
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. current — electric
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. current — happening now
  12. kid — to tease
  13. chip — to eat
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. game — wild animals
  17. scale — in music
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. pit — a hole
  20. current — of water
  21. chip — for betting
  22. scale — size or range
  23. pit — in a race
  24. game — a kind of play

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