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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. chip — to eat
  4. chip — for betting
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. ball — a dance
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. charge — in control
  11. ball — a great time
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. scale — in music
  14. cap — a lid
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. scale — size or range
  17. bark — to shout
  18. cap — a hat
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. charge — a price
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. cap — of ice
  23. dip — to sink
  24. ball — a round shape

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