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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. chip — for betting
  3. tube — the underground
  4. charge — electricity
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. dip — to sink
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. charge — in control
  10. mine — for digging
  11. net — in sport
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. charge — a price
  14. squash — the sport
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. tube — a container
  17. squash — to crush
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. chip — to eat
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. net — after costs
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. net — for catching

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