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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 tickets are free of ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. charge — a price
  3. pop — to visit
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. wound — an injury
  6. charge — electricity
  7. wound — an injury
  8. pop — music
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. chip — for betting
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. bore — to tire
  15. pop — soda
  16. mate — to breed
  17. charge — in control
  18. bore — to drill
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. mate — a partner
  23. mate — a friend
  24. jam — in traffic

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