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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. suit — to fit
  3. chair — a leader
  4. bank — for money
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. charge — a price
  7. band — a ring
  8. can — a tin
  9. bank — for money
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. can — a tin
  13. band — a music group
  14. suit — in cards
  15. chip — to eat
  16. chip — for betting
  17. suit — clothes
  18. can — to be able to
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. bank — of a river
  23. charge — in control
  24. band — a rubber band

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