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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. march — the month
  4. charge — in control
  5. charge — a price
  6. chip — to eat
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. march — the month
  9. march — music
  10. present — the time now
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. capital — a city
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. chip — for betting
  16. charge — electricity
  17. root — of a word
  18. kid — to tease
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. root — the cause
  21. present — there
  22. capital — money
  23. kid — child
  24. root — of a plant

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