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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 116 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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. chip — to eat
  3. ground — crushed
  4. mine — for digging
  5. fall — to drop
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. charge — a price
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. charge — in control
  12. fall — to drop
  13. squash — to crush
  14. bound — obliged
  15. ground — a position
  16. bound — certain
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. ground — the earth
  19. charge — electricity
  20. squash — the sport
  21. bound — tied together
  22. fall — the season
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. chip — in a computer

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