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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. chip — for betting
  3. cell — in biology
  4. pit — in a race
  5. capital — money
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. charge — electricity
  8. charge — a price
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. can — a tin
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. pit — a hole
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. deal — to handle
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. can — a tin
  19. stem — to come from
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. cell — a phone
  22. chip — to eat
  23. charge — in control
  24. capital — a city

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