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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. rule — a law
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. root — the cause
  5. charge — in control
  6. root — of a plant
  7. chip — for betting
  8. root — of a word
  9. charge — a price
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. rule — government
  12. chip — to eat
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. tube — the underground
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. pitch — completely
  18. rash — a series
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. snap — to click
  22. tube — a container
  23. rash — hasty
  24. chip — in a computer

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