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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. pop — to visit
  3. clip — for paper
  4. game — a match
  5. object — an aim
  6. bear — the animal
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. clip — to cut
  9. charge — in control
  10. object — to protest
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. pop — music
  13. pop — soda
  14. object — a thing
  15. clip — a video
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. charge — a price
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. chip — to eat
  20. chip — for betting
  21. game — wild animals
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. bear — the animal
  24. safe — out of danger

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