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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. charge — electricity
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. bear — the animal
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. sharp — clever
  7. pit — in a race
  8. charge — a price
  9. chip — to eat
  10. pit — a hole
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. chip — for betting
  13. charge — in control
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. plane — a tool
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. bear — the animal
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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