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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. roll — a cake
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. bulb — for light
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. cap — of ice
  8. roll — a list
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. bulb — for light
  11. saw — the tool
  12. charge — a price
  13. cap — a hat
  14. chip — to eat
  15. charge — electricity
  16. saw — the tool
  17. firm — decided
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. chip — for betting
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. firm — a company
  22. cap — a lid
  23. firm — steady
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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