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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. season — in sport
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. chip — for betting
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. net — for catching
  11. key — the most important part
  12. court — of law
  13. charge — electricity
  14. court — of a king
  15. key — in music
  16. charge — in control
  17. court — for sport
  18. net — in sport
  19. key — for a lock
  20. charge — a price
  21. season — of the year
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. net — after costs

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