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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: tube · kid · can · pitcher · charge · chip · date · plane

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. tube — the underground
  3. date — the fruit
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. tube — a container
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. charge — in control
  9. charge — a price
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. can — to be able to
  12. can — a tin
  13. chip — to eat
  14. plane — a tool
  15. chip — for betting
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. charge — electricity
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. kid — to tease
  24. kid — child

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