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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: bowl · charge · chip · can · date · march · present · vault

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. march — the month
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. chip — for betting
  6. present — there
  7. charge — a price
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. charge — in control
  10. date — the fruit
  11. march — music
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. charge — electricity
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. can — to be able to
  17. present — a gift
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. can — a tin
  20. chip — to eat
  21. vault — a safe
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. present — the time now
  24. march — the month

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