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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  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. cap — a lid
  2. charge — electricity
  3. saw — the tool
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. face — to confront
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. pop — to visit
  9. pop — soda
  10. saw — the tool
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. cap — of ice
  13. chip — to eat
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. pop — music
  17. charge — a price
  18. face — part of the head
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. charge — in control
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. cap — a hat
  23. face — to point toward
  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