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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. scale — size or range
  3. scale — in music
  4. kick — in football
  5. squash — to crush
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. mine — for digging
  8. mark — a trace
  9. charge — electricity
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. charge — in control
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. hand — in cards
  14. hand — help
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. chip — for betting
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. charge — a price
  19. mark — a grade
  20. chip — to eat
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. squash — the sport

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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