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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. object — to protest
  3. swing — in golf
  4. chip — for betting
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. object — an aim
  7. spell — magic
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. chip — to eat
  10. face — part of the head
  11. charge — electricity
  12. object — a thing
  13. content — happy
  14. charge — a price
  15. spell — a short time
  16. spell — letters
  17. charge — in control
  18. kid — child
  19. swing — music
  20. kid — to tease
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. face — to confront
  23. content — the amount
  24. face — to point toward

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