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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 tickets are free of ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. fall — the season
  4. fall — to drop
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. land — to come down
  7. charge — electricity
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. chip — to eat
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. lean — thin
  13. perch — the fish
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. charge — in control
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. land — ground
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. land — a country
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. chip — for betting
  23. lean — to bend
  24. fall — to drop

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