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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. wax — to grow
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. chip — to eat
  8. pit — a hole
  9. hand — help
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. hand — in cards
  12. charge — in control
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. chip — for betting
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. sharp — clever
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. charge — electricity
  23. pit — in a race
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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