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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. charge — electricity
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. clip — for paper
  5. charge — in control
  6. clip — a video
  7. squash — to crush
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. charge — a price
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. firm — decided
  12. cue — a hint
  13. toast — bread
  14. cue — a signal
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. chip — for betting
  17. cue — for pool
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. clip — to cut
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. firm — steady
  23. firm — a company
  24. squash — the sport

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