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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. chip — to eat
  3. charge — a price
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. ball — a dance
  6. cue — a hint
  7. land — ground
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. charge — electricity
  10. net — in sport
  11. cue — for pool
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. land — a country
  16. land — to come down
  17. net — for catching
  18. net — after costs
  19. cue — a signal
  20. chip — for betting
  21. ball — a great time
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. charge — in control

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