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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. plane — a tool
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. degree — from a university
  8. cold — not warm
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. present — a gift
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. present — the time now
  13. chip — to eat
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. cold — an illness
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. degree — an amount
  18. present — there
  19. chip — for betting
  20. charge — a price
  21. degree — temperature
  22. charge — in control
  23. perch — the fish
  24. stand — to bear

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