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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 tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. charge — in control
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. saw — the tool
  7. staff — employees
  8. staff — employees
  9. mate — a partner
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. staff — a stick
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. mate — a friend
  15. saw — the tool
  16. mate — to breed
  17. chip — to eat
  18. tube — the underground
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. tube — a container
  21. band — a ring
  22. band — a music group
  23. charge — electricity
  24. chip — for betting

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