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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. kid — to tease
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. kid — child
  6. hand — help
  7. cap — a lid
  8. bank — for money
  9. hand — in cards
  10. cap — a hat
  11. rash — a series
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. bank — of a river
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. cap — of ice
  17. rash — hasty
  18. bank — for money
  19. charge — in control
  20. toast — bread
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. stand — to bear
  24. charge — electricity

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