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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. chip — to eat
  3. cold — an illness
  4. charge — electricity
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. kid — to tease
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. cold — not warm
  10. charge — in control
  11. bore — to drill
  12. cue — a hint
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. kid — child
  15. charge — a price
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. bore — to tire
  18. cue — for pool
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. deal — to handle
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. cue — a signal
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. chip — for betting

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