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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. hand — in cards
  3. bound — tied together
  4. charge — in control
  5. chip — to eat
  6. squash — to crush
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. bound — certain
  10. staff — a stick
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. ball — a dance
  14. charge — a price
  15. staff — employees
  16. ball — a great time
  17. foot — a measure
  18. charge — electricity
  19. hand — help
  20. squash — the sport
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. chip — for betting
  24. staff — employees

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