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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  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 — to eat
  2. chip — for betting
  3. track — a path
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. track — to keep track
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. charge — a price
  8. tube — a container
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. kick — in football
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. roll — a list
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. tube — the underground
  17. track — a song
  18. charge — in control
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. roll — a cake
  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