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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. charge — in control
  3. march — the month
  4. deal — to handle
  5. craft — boats
  6. can — to be able to
  7. chip — for betting
  8. charge — a price
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. rash — a series
  11. fall — to drop
  12. march — music
  13. rash — hasty
  14. fall — to drop
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. craft — a skill
  17. chip — to eat
  18. fall — the season
  19. can — a tin
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. can — a tin
  23. march — the month
  24. deal — a big deal

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