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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. track — to keep track
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. swing — music
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — the tool
  10. swing — in golf
  11. capital — a city
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. stand — to bear
  14. hand — help
  15. chip — to eat
  16. swing — to play on
  17. track — a path
  18. charge — electricity
  19. chip — for betting
  20. capital — money
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. track — a song
  23. charge — in control
  24. hand — in cards

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