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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. charge — electricity
  4. chip — for betting
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. stand — to bear
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. bass — low music
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. charge — a price
  11. cap — a lid
  12. pop — to visit
  13. pop — soda
  14. bass — the fish
  15. cap — a hat
  16. cap — of ice
  17. pop — music
  18. charge — in control
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. wound — an injury
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. chip — to eat
  23. wound — an injury
  24. mouse — for a computer

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