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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: charge · can · mark · fan · dip · saw · scale · game

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. game — wild animals
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. game — a match
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. can — a tin
  7. dip — to sink
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. charge — electricity
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. saw — the tool
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. mark — a trace
  14. scale — in music
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. saw — the tool
  18. can — a tin
  19. mark — a grade
  20. charge — a price
  21. can — to be able to
  22. scale — size or range
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. dip — a sauce

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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