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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. chest — of your body
  3. land — to come down
  4. track — a path
  5. land — a country
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. charge — electricity
  9. chip — to eat
  10. chest — of your body
  11. chip — for betting
  12. chest — a box
  13. charge — a price
  14. track — to keep track
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. charge — in control
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. track — a song
  20. scale — in music
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. land — ground
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. scale — size or range

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