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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 tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. ball — a dance
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. dip — to sink
  5. chip — for betting
  6. charge — in control
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. chip — to eat
  10. net — in sport
  11. field — for sport
  12. net — after costs
  13. net — for catching
  14. band — a ring
  15. ball — a great time
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. rash — a series
  18. field — farmland
  19. field — a subject
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. band — a music group
  22. rash — hasty
  23. charge — electricity
  24. chip — in a computer

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