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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 116 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 kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  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. scale — for weighing
  2. cap — of ice
  3. can — to be able to
  4. object — an aim
  5. game — wild animals
  6. scale — in music
  7. scale — size or range
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. cap — a lid
  10. cap — a hat
  11. object — a thing
  12. can — a tin
  13. chip — to eat
  14. mine — for digging
  15. charge — electricity
  16. object — to protest
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. charge — a price
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. game — a match
  22. chip — for betting
  23. can — a tin
  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