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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. chip — to eat
  3. court — for sport
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. charge — a price
  9. date — the fruit
  10. kid — to tease
  11. charge — electricity
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. craft — boats
  14. kid — child
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. court — of law
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. saw — the tool
  20. court — of a king
  21. chip — for betting
  22. saw — the tool
  23. craft — a skill
  24. chip — in a computer

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