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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. charge — electricity
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. object — an aim
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. date — the fruit
  9. charge — in control
  10. charge — a price
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. chip — for betting
  13. clip — to cut
  14. root — of a plant
  15. root — of a word
  16. clip — a video
  17. clip — for paper
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. object — to protest
  20. mark — a grade
  21. chip — to eat
  22. root — the cause
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. mark — a trace

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