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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. ground — the earth
  3. rule — a law
  4. chip — to eat
  5. bulb — for light
  6. wound — an injury
  7. march — music
  8. chip — for betting
  9. march — the month
  10. bulb — for light
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. ground — crushed
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. charge — in control
  15. wound — an injury
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. rule — government
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. march — the month
  20. charge — a price
  21. ground — a position
  22. saw — the tool
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. charge — electricity

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