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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 116 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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. content — happy
  3. press — to push
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. charge — electricity
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. content — the amount
  9. charge — a price
  10. bulb — for light
  11. firm — steady
  12. fall — to drop
  13. bulb — for light
  14. press — a publisher
  15. fall — to drop
  16. fall — the season
  17. charge — in control
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. chip — to eat
  20. firm — decided
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. press — newspapers
  23. firm — a company
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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