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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. object — an aim
  3. charge — in control
  4. chest — a box
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. chest — of your body
  7. charge — a price
  8. object — to protest
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. club — for golf
  12. club — for dancing
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. charge — electricity
  16. chest — of your body
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. object — a thing
  19. dip — to sink
  20. club — a group
  21. wake — a trail
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. chip — to eat
  24. chip — for betting

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