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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. snap — to click
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. charge — in control
  8. stock — goods
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. charge — a price
  11. chip — to eat
  12. foot — a measure
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. stock — shares
  19. wake — a trail
  20. charge — electricity
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. stock — a soup base

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