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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. charge — electricity
  3. vault — a safe
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. chip — for betting
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. charge — in control
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. charge — a price
  16. land — ground
  17. key — the most important part
  18. chip — to eat
  19. land — a country
  20. land — to come down
  21. stand — to bear
  22. key — in music
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. key — for a lock

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