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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. chip — to eat
  4. court — for sport
  5. club — for golf
  6. charge — a price
  7. dip — to sink
  8. shower — rain
  9. club — a group
  10. scale — size or range
  11. court — of a king
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. scale — in music
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. court — of law
  16. club — for dancing
  17. chip — for betting
  18. charge — electricity
  19. charge — in control
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. shower — to wash
  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