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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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. charge — in control
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. rest — what's left
  6. net — for catching
  7. charge — a price
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. net — after costs
  11. rule — a law
  12. net — in sport
  13. chip — for betting
  14. scale — in music
  15. rest — what's left
  16. charge — electricity
  17. chip — to eat
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. rule — government
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. rest — a break
  24. scale — size or range

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