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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. charge — in control
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. charge — electricity
  5. pop — to visit
  6. file — a document
  7. pop — soda
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. pop — music
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. staff — employees
  12. stock — shares
  13. tear — from crying
  14. file — a line of people
  15. charge — a price
  16. stock — goods
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. staff — employees
  19. file — a tool
  20. staff — a stick
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. tear — to rip
  23. chip — to eat
  24. chip — for betting

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