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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: craft · chip · fine · charge · pitcher · spring · cabinet · mine

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  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 — electricity
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. charge — in control
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. chip — for betting
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. spring — a coil
  10. spring — of water
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. charge — a price
  15. fine — all right
  16. spring — the season
  17. craft — boats
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. fine — high quality
  22. craft — a skill
  23. mine — for digging
  24. chip — to eat

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