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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. object — to protest
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. charge — electricity
  7. object — a thing
  8. rush — hurry
  9. charge — a price
  10. charge — in control
  11. hand — help
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. mark — a trace
  14. file — a line of people
  15. object — an aim
  16. mark — a grade
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. file — a tool
  20. hand — in cards
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. chip — to eat
  23. file — a document
  24. fan — a supporter

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