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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. chip — for betting
  4. ball — a great time
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. content — happy
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. wake — a trail
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. ball — a dance
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. chip — to eat
  14. charge — electricity
  15. charge — in control
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. content — the amount
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. hand — help
  20. charge — a price
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. hand — in cards

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