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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. bark — to shout
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. land — to come down
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. squash — the sport
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. cap — a lid
  10. cap — a hat
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. charge — in control
  14. squash — to crush
  15. cap — of ice
  16. land — a country
  17. charge — a price
  18. charge — electricity
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. land — ground
  22. chip — for betting
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. chip — to eat

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