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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. chair — a leader
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. saw — the tool
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. charge — electricity
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. tube — the underground
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. saw — the tool
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. tube — a container
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. chip — to eat
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. charge — a price
  19. charge — in control
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. track — a song
  22. track — a path
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. track — to keep track

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