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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 116 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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. charge — in control
  3. firm — decided
  4. last — finally
  5. firm — steady
  6. chip — for betting
  7. firm — a company
  8. row — to paddle
  9. object — to protest
  10. charge — a price
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. row — a line
  13. last — final
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. object — an aim
  16. last — to go on
  17. object — a thing
  18. chip — to eat

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