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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. charge — in control
  3. field — farmland
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. mug — to rob
  6. rush — hurry
  7. scale — size or range
  8. fine — all right
  9. object — a thing
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. object — an aim
  12. mug — a face
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. field — a subject
  15. fine — high quality
  16. object — to protest
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. scale — in music
  19. charge — a price
  20. chip — to eat
  21. charge — electricity
  22. field — for sport
  23. chip — for betting
  24. mug — a cup

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