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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. wake — a trail
  3. chest — a box
  4. charge — a price
  5. chip — for betting
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. charge — electricity
  9. chest — of your body
  10. kid — to tease
  11. press — to push
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. pound — a weight
  14. kid — child
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. chip — to eat
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. press — a publisher
  19. chest — of your body
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. press — newspapers
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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