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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: deal · stock · hide · spell · charge · chip · band · rush

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. spell — a short time
  3. band — a music group
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. charge — in control
  10. spell — letters
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. band — a ring
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. chip — for betting
  17. deal — to handle
  18. spell — magic
  19. charge — a price
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. rush — hurry
  22. stock — goods
  23. stock — shares
  24. chip — to eat

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