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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. scale — size or range
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. chip — for betting
  5. charge — in control
  6. root — of a word
  7. cell — in biology
  8. charge — a price
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. march — the month
  11. march — music
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. club — for dancing
  15. march — the month
  16. scale — in music
  17. club — a group
  18. chip — to eat
  19. hand — help
  20. root — of a plant
  21. club — for golf
  22. cell — a phone
  23. root — the cause
  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