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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 116 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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. deal — to handle
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. scale — size or range
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. chip — to eat
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. charge — a price
  10. fine — all right
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. charge — electricity
  13. mark — a trace
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. charge — in control
  17. mark — a grade
  18. content — happy
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. scale — in music
  22. content — the amount
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. chip — for betting

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