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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. mate — a friend
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. charge — in control
  6. charge — a price
  7. cell — in biology
  8. chip — to eat
  9. stock — goods
  10. mate — to breed
  11. suit — clothes
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. charge — electricity
  14. suit — to fit
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. cell — a phone
  17. stock — shares
  18. suit — in cards
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. capital — a city
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. mate — a partner
  24. capital — money

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