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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. object — a thing
  3. chip — for betting
  4. drill — a practice
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. charge — electricity
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. saw — the tool
  9. bear — the animal
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. rock — music
  13. drill — the tool
  14. object — an aim
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. bear — the animal
  19. object — to protest
  20. saw — the tool
  21. chip — to eat
  22. charge — in control
  23. drill — army training
  24. charge — a price

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