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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. snap — to click
  3. land — a country
  4. land — to come down
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. pop — to visit
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. suit — in cards
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. suit — to fit
  11. scale — in music
  12. chip — for betting
  13. pound — a weight
  14. scale — size or range
  15. charge — in control
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. land — ground
  18. charge — a price
  19. suit — clothes
  20. pop — music
  21. chip — to eat
  22. pop — soda
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. pound — to hit hard

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