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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. deal — to handle
  3. court — for sport
  4. chip — for betting
  5. charge — in control
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. wound — an injury
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. charge — a price
  10. court — of a king
  11. court — of law
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. sharp — clever
  14. branch — a division
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. charge — electricity
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. wound — an injury
  20. content — happy
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. content — the amount
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. deal — a big deal

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