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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. chip — to eat
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. charge — in control
  6. last — final
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. last — finally
  9. wound — an injury
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. last — to go on
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. charge — a price
  18. wound — an injury
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. charge — electricity
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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