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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: last · stock · saw · mark · land · charge · jam · chip

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. land — to come down
  3. charge — in control
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. land — a country
  7. mark — a grade
  8. chip — to eat
  9. last — finally
  10. saw — the tool
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. last — final
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. mark — a trace
  15. land — ground
  16. stock — shares
  17. chip — for betting
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. stock — goods
  21. last — to go on
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. saw — the tool
  24. charge — electricity

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