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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. charge — electricity
  3. bank — for money
  4. swing — music
  5. rash — a series
  6. rash — hasty
  7. root — the cause
  8. capital — a city
  9. charge — in control
  10. squash — the sport
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. root — of a plant
  13. capital — money
  14. chip — for betting
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. root — of a word
  17. bank — of a river
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. squash — to crush
  20. swing — to play on
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. swing — in golf
  23. charge — a price
  24. bank — for money

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