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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. sharp — clever
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. mark — a grade
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. chip — to eat
  9. charge — in control
  10. bound — tied together
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. bound — certain
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. mark — a trace
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. chip — for betting
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. rash — hasty
  22. bound — obliged
  23. rash — a series
  24. charge — electricity

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