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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. suit — in cards
  3. suit — to fit
  4. chip — to eat
  5. land — to come down
  6. land — ground
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. chip — for betting
  9. net — after costs
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. charge — in control
  12. suit — clothes
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. net — in sport
  17. land — a country
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. net — for catching
  20. charge — electricity
  21. plane — a tool
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. charge — a price

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