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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. charge — a price
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. charge — electricity
  5. lean — to bend
  6. cue — a hint
  7. craft — a skill
  8. ground — a position
  9. lean — thin
  10. chip — for betting
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. spring — of water
  13. ground — the earth
  14. spring — a coil
  15. spring — the season
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. charge — in control
  18. craft — boats
  19. cue — for pool
  20. cue — a signal
  21. stock — goods
  22. stock — shares
  23. ground — crushed
  24. chip — in 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