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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 120 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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. land — ground
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. chair — a leader
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. land — a country
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. sharp — clever
  9. chip — for betting
  10. charge — a price
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. stem — to come from
  14. net — for catching
  15. charge — in control
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. chip — to eat
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. net — after costs
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. land — to come down
  24. net — in sport

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