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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 120 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 potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. mate — a partner
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. charge — a price
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. row — to paddle
  7. charge — in control
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. chip — for betting
  10. bark — to shout
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. charge — electricity
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. pound — a weight
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. mate — a friend
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. row — a line
  20. mate — to breed
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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