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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. mug — a face
  5. race — a contest
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. game — a match
  8. charge — electricity
  9. mug — to rob
  10. kid — to tease
  11. kid — child
  12. branch — a division
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. chip — for betting
  15. charge — in control
  16. race — the arms race
  17. game — wild animals
  18. mug — a cup
  19. race — humankind
  20. chip — to eat
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. charge — a price
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. branch — of a bank

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