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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. charge — electricity
  4. present — a gift
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. branch — a division
  7. row — a line
  8. present — the time now
  9. present — there
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. charge — a price
  12. squash — to crush
  13. charge — in control
  14. face — part of the head
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. chip — for betting
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. face — to confront
  20. chip — to eat
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. face — to point toward
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. squash — the sport

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