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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. chest — of your body
  3. chip — to eat
  4. court — for sport
  5. rock — music
  6. fine — high quality
  7. chest — a box
  8. season — of the year
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. charge — a price
  12. staff — a stick
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. court — of law
  15. chip — for betting
  16. season — in sport
  17. court — of a king
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. staff — employees
  20. chest — of your body
  21. rock — a stone
  22. staff — employees
  23. charge — in control
  24. fine — all right

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