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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 120 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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. capital — a city
  4. charge — electricity
  5. scale — size or range
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. scale — in music
  8. cell — a phone
  9. chip — to eat
  10. chip — for betting
  11. object — to protest
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. band — a music group
  14. cell — in biology
  15. capital — money
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. object — a thing
  20. band — a ring
  21. charge — a price
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. charge — in control

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