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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: degree · fan · toast · jam · march · chip · rule · charge

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  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. charge — a price
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. march — the month
  4. degree — from a university
  5. rule — government
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. charge — in control
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. rule — a law
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. march — music
  15. chip — for betting
  16. march — the month
  17. charge — electricity
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. degree — temperature
  20. toast — bread
  21. degree — an amount
  22. chip — to eat
  23. fan — to cool the air
  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