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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. rest — a break
  4. row — a line
  5. charge — electricity
  6. tube — a container
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. tube — the underground
  9. chip — to eat
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. current — electric
  12. charge — a price
  13. rest — what's left
  14. charge — in control
  15. scale — in music
  16. current — of water
  17. chip — for betting
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. current — happening now
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. scale — size or range
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. rest — what's left
  24. pitch — completely

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