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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. ball — a dance
  3. charge — a price
  4. charge — electricity
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. fork — in a road
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. object — a thing
  14. cell — a phone
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. object — an aim
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. chip — to eat
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. object — to protest
  21. cell — in biology
  22. chip — for betting
  23. ball — a great time
  24. charge — in control

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