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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: charge · staff · dip · field · craft · clip · plane · chip

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. field — farmland
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. clip — for paper
  5. plane — a tool
  6. clip — a video
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. chip — to eat
  9. dip — to sink
  10. craft — boats
  11. charge — in control
  12. charge — a price
  13. staff — employees
  14. clip — to cut
  15. field — for sport
  16. chip — for betting
  17. field — a subject
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. staff — a stick
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. staff — employees
  23. charge — electricity
  24. plane — in geometry

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