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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. charge — in control
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. game — a match
  7. game — wild animals
  8. capital — money
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. stock — shares
  11. season — in sport
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. stock — goods
  14. charge — a price
  15. chip — to eat
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. board — a committee
  18. capital — a city
  19. season — of the year
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. board — to get on
  24. charge — electricity

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