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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. game — wild animals
  3. charge — electricity
  4. cue — a hint
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. clip — to cut
  8. clip — a video
  9. cue — a signal
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. game — a match
  13. charge — a price
  14. clip — for paper
  15. chip — to eat
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. mug — a cup
  18. mug — a face
  19. charge — in control
  20. cue — for pool
  21. mug — to rob
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. chip — for betting
  24. safe — a strongbox

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