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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  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. fine — a penalty
  2. file — a line of people
  3. rule — a law
  4. charge — a price
  5. chip — for betting
  6. cell — in biology
  7. squash — the sport
  8. cell — a phone
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. rule — government
  13. chip — to eat
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. charge — electricity
  17. bulb — for light
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. file — a document
  20. squash — to crush
  21. file — a tool
  22. fine — all right
  23. fine — high quality
  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