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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. saw — the tool
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. club — for golf
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. court — for sport
  8. club — for dancing
  9. chip — for betting
  10. rest — a break
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. chip — to eat
  13. charge — in control
  14. charge — electricity
  15. rest — what's left
  16. court — of a king
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. rest — what's left
  19. saw — the tool
  20. club — a group
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. charge — a price
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. court — of law

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