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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. charge — a price
  3. charge — in control
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. rule — a law
  7. charge — electricity
  8. ball — a dance
  9. rule — government
  10. chip — to eat
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. ball — a great time
  13. track — a path
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. track — to keep track
  17. season — in sport
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. chip — for betting
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. stem — to come from
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. season — of the year

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