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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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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. charge — in control
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. chip — for betting
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. charge — a price
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. roll — a cake
  12. roll — a list
  13. row — a line
  14. plane — a tool
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. chip — to eat
  17. charge — electricity
  18. row — to paddle

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