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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. bound — obliged
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. pop — music
  5. bound — tied together
  6. chip — to eat
  7. charge — electricity
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. chip — for betting
  11. charge — in control
  12. fine — high quality
  13. clip — a video
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. bound — certain
  16. charge — a price
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. race — the arms race
  19. fine — all right
  20. clip — for paper
  21. race — humankind
  22. pop — to visit
  23. race — a contest
  24. clip — to cut

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