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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: can · chip · bowl · cabinet · mine · nail · stick · charge

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. chip — to eat
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. charge — a price
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. can — a tin
  9. charge — electricity
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. charge — in control
  15. chip — for betting
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. can — a tin
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. mine — for digging
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. chip — in a computer

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