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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 120 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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. charge — a price
  3. charge — electricity
  4. mark — a grade
  5. stock — goods
  6. rush — hurry
  7. charge — in control
  8. mark — a trace
  9. chip — for betting
  10. chip — to eat
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. bank — of a river
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. kid — to tease
  18. scale — in music
  19. bank — for money
  20. kid — child
  21. bank — for money
  22. scale — size or range
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. stock — shares

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