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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. shower — rain
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. net — for catching
  5. rule — a law
  6. chip — to eat
  7. season — in sport
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. chip — for betting
  10. shower — to wash
  11. charge — a price
  12. rule — government
  13. season — of the year
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. pit — in a race
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. row — a line
  18. net — in sport
  19. net — after costs
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. row — to paddle
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. pit — a hole
  24. charge — electricity

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