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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: bank · mug · chip · charge · stand · craft · wake · toast

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. mug — a cup
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. wake — a trail
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. bank — for money
  8. charge — electricity
  9. mug — to rob
  10. mug — a face
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. chip — for betting
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. craft — boats
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. chip — to eat
  18. bank — of a river
  19. stand — to bear
  20. craft — a skill
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. toast — bread
  23. bank — for money
  24. charge — in control

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