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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. craft — boats
  3. chip — for betting
  4. craft — a skill
  5. charge — in control
  6. rock — a stone
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. cue — for pool
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. land — to come down
  13. chair — a leader
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. land — a country
  16. chip — to eat
  17. land — ground
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. charge — electricity
  20. plane — a tool
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. charge — a price
  23. rock — music
  24. cue — a signal

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