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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. ground — the earth
  3. ground — a position
  4. cue — a signal
  5. cue — a hint
  6. cue — for pool
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. chip — for betting
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. row — to paddle
  11. charge — electricity
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. present — there
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. row — a line
  18. present — a gift
  19. charge — a price
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. ground — crushed
  22. present — the time now
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. charge — in control

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