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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 120 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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. foot — a measure
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. charge — electricity
  6. wound — an injury
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. charge — a price
  12. chip — to eat
  13. chip — for betting
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. charge — in control
  16. wound — an injury
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. fan — to cool the air

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