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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. row — a line
  3. pitch — completely
  4. row — to paddle
  5. charge — in control
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. deal — to handle
  8. degree — an amount
  9. charge — a price
  10. last — to go on
  11. degree — temperature
  12. last — final
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. can — a tin
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. can — to be able to
  17. chip — for betting
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. degree — from a university
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. chip — to eat
  22. can — a tin
  23. last — finally
  24. charge — electricity

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