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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. charge — in control
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. court — for sport
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. tube — the underground
  7. bound — obliged
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. chip — to eat
  11. chip — for betting
  12. charge — a price
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. tube — a container
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. season — of the year
  17. season — in sport
  18. bound — certain
  19. court — of law
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. plane — a tool
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. bound — tied together
  24. court — of a king

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