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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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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: stock · mark · arm · court · shower · chip · deal · charge

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. court — of law
  4. charge — in control
  5. charge — electricity
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. mark — a grade
  9. shower — to wash
  10. chip — to eat
  11. court — for sport
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. stock — goods
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. stock — shares
  17. mark — a trace
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. shower — rain
  20. deal — to handle
  21. court — of a king
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. charge — a price
  24. chip — for betting

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