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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. hand — help
  3. tube — a container
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. chip — to eat
  6. charge — in control
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. hand — in cards
  10. tube — the underground
  11. content — happy
  12. charge — electricity
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. content — the amount
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. charge — a price
  19. chip — for betting
  20. deal — to handle
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. chair — a leader
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. chair — a professorship

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