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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. kid — to tease
  4. chip — to eat
  5. charge — electricity
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. charge — a price
  9. kid — child
  10. ball — a great time
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. bat — the animal
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — for light
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. chip — for betting
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. charge — in control
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. ball — a dance
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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