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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 120 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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. charge — electricity
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. chip — for betting
  6. bass — the fish
  7. drill — a practice
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. bass — low music
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. chip — to eat
  15. drill — army training
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. charge — a price
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. drill — the tool
  22. pitch — completely
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. charge — in control

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