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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 120 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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. chip — for betting
  4. charge — a price
  5. charge — in control
  6. pit — a hole
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. ground — crushed
  10. pop — to visit
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. ground — a position
  14. pit — in a race
  15. pop — soda
  16. ground — the earth
  17. snap — to click
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. pop — music
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. chip — to eat

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