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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. charge — electricity
  3. chip — for betting
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. cue — a hint
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. vault — a safe
  8. ground — crushed
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. cue — a signal
  12. chair — a leader
  13. cue — for pool
  14. ground — a position
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. chip — to eat
  18. tube — a container
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. ground — the earth
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. charge — in control
  24. tube — the underground

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