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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. capital — money
  3. charge — in control
  4. chip — to eat
  5. stock — goods
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. charge — electricity
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. kick — in football
  11. charge — a price
  12. bank — for money
  13. fall — to drop
  14. fall — the season
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. fall — to drop
  17. stock — shares
  18. chip — for betting
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. bank — of a river
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. capital — a city
  24. bank — for money

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