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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: march · charge · saw · chip · bear · cabinet · row · deal

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. chip — for betting
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. charge — in control
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. charge — electricity
  7. charge — a price
  8. march — music
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. bear — the animal
  11. row — a line
  12. march — the month
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. saw — the tool
  15. bear — the animal
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. row — to paddle
  21. chip — to eat
  22. saw — the tool
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. deal — to handle

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