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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. foot — a measure
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. march — the month
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. charge — electricity
  7. march — the month
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. charge — a price
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. race — the arms race
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. pop — to visit
  17. race — a contest
  18. pop — music
  19. march — music
  20. chip — to eat
  21. chip — for betting
  22. charge — in control
  23. pop — soda
  24. race — humankind

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