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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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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 · toast · charge · board · chip · perch · clip · arm

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. bank — for money
  6. chip — for betting
  7. toast — bread
  8. clip — to cut
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. clip — for paper
  12. board — to get on
  13. bank — for money
  14. clip — a video
  15. charge — electricity
  16. board — a committee
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. bank — of a river
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. charge — in control
  22. chip — to eat
  23. perch — the fish
  24. arm — part of the body

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