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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. last — final
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. last — finally
  7. field — for sport
  8. chip — to eat
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. charge — in control
  13. charge — a price
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. cue — a hint
  16. cue — for pool
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. field — farmland
  19. last — to go on
  20. cue — a signal
  21. chip — for betting
  22. field — a subject
  23. deal — to handle
  24. bay — a horse colour

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