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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  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. chip — to eat
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. shower — to wash
  4. court — for sport
  5. bound — obliged
  6. sharp — clever
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. bound — certain
  10. pit — in a race
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. shower — rain
  13. bound — tied together
  14. pit — a hole
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. court — of law
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. charge — in control
  20. charge — a price
  21. court — of a king
  22. hide — to keep secret
  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