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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. bass — the fish
  3. snap — to click
  4. staff — a stick
  5. bass — low music
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. chip — for betting
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. chip — to eat
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. stand — to bear
  19. staff — employees
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. charge — in control
  23. staff — employees
  24. charge — a price

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