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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. chip — to eat
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. mate — a partner
  6. charge — electricity
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. board — to get on
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. board — a committee
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. charge — a price
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. dip — to sink
  16. mate — a friend
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. mate — to breed
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. plane — a tool
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. charge — in control
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. plane — an aircraft

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