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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. charge — electricity
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. chip — for betting
  9. scale — in music
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. spring — the season
  13. toast — bread
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. chip — to eat
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. spring — a coil
  18. charge — a price
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. spring — of water
  21. charge — in control
  22. scale — size or range
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. arm — part of the body

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