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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 didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. present — a gift
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. charge — a price
  9. bulb — for light
  10. wake — a trail
  11. cell — in biology
  12. present — the time now
  13. chip — for betting
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. charge — in control
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. cell — a phone
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. present — there
  22. chip — to eat
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. bulb — for light

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