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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
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: charge · key · plane · chip · cold · cap · mine · march

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. plane — a tool
  3. charge — electricity
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. chip — for betting
  6. key — for a lock
  7. march — the month
  8. cold — an illness
  9. chip — to eat
  10. cold — not warm
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. cap — a lid
  15. charge — a price
  16. mine — for digging
  17. march — music
  18. cap — a hat
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. key — the most important part
  21. charge — in control
  22. march — the month
  23. cap — of ice
  24. key — in music

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