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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 120 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 tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. track — a path
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. race — the arms race
  5. race — humankind
  6. charge — in control
  7. track — a song
  8. season — in sport
  9. land — a country
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. race — a contest
  12. track — to keep track
  13. land — ground
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. chip — for betting
  16. foot — a measure
  17. land — to come down
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. season — of the year
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. charge — electricity
  23. chip — to eat
  24. chip — in a computer

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