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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 tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. chip — to eat
  3. suit — to fit
  4. chest — a box
  5. suit — in cards
  6. file — a document
  7. tube — a container
  8. file — a line of people
  9. suit — clothes
  10. charge — electricity
  11. tube — the underground
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. staff — employees
  15. chest — of your body
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. charge — in control
  19. staff — employees
  20. chip — for betting
  21. deal — to handle
  22. staff — a stick
  23. chest — of your body
  24. file — a tool

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