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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 tickets are free of ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. charge — a price
  3. date — the fruit
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. chip — for betting
  7. stock — shares
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. can — to be able to
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. can — a tin
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. charge — electricity
  18. can — a tin
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. stock — goods
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. chip — to eat

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