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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. present — there
  3. swing — to play on
  4. can — a tin
  5. charge — in control
  6. fall — to drop
  7. net — for catching
  8. swing — music
  9. present — the time now
  10. charge — electricity
  11. fall — to drop
  12. object — an aim
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. can — a tin
  15. charge — a price
  16. net — in sport
  17. swing — in golf
  18. net — after costs
  19. object — a thing
  20. present — a gift
  21. chip — to eat
  22. can — to be able to
  23. fall — the season
  24. chip — for betting

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