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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. saw — the tool
  3. charge — electricity
  4. chip — for betting
  5. craft — boats
  6. craft — a skill
  7. land — to come down
  8. chip — to eat
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. land — a country
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. pit — in a race
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. pit — a hole
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. charge — in control
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. land — ground
  21. charge — a price
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. arm — a part of something

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