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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  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. charge — in control
  2. stand — to bear
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. charge — electricity
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. pit — in a race
  7. clip — for paper
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. pound — a weight
  10. pit — a hole
  11. clip — a video
  12. last — to go on
  13. charge — a price
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. last — final
  16. chip — for betting
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. chip — to eat
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. perch — the fish
  22. last — finally
  23. perch — for a bird
  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