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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. rash — hasty
  3. chip — for betting
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. charge — a price
  6. game — a match
  7. charge — electricity
  8. charge — in control
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. capital — a city
  11. rash — a series
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. capital — money
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. bound — tied together
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. rule — government
  18. chip — to eat
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. bound — certain
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. game — wild animals
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. rule — a law

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