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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. cue — a signal
  3. cell — a phone
  4. chip — to eat
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. chip — for betting
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. charge — in control
  9. spell — magic
  10. cell — in biology
  11. capital — a city
  12. spell — letters
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. cue — for pool
  15. cue — a hint
  16. capital — money
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. wind — moving air
  19. charge — a price
  20. charge — electricity
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. wind — moving air

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