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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: plane · hand · fine · stock · chip · file · root · charge

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. root — of a word
  3. file — a tool
  4. stock — goods
  5. stock — shares
  6. hand — help
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. file — a document
  9. fine — all right
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. fine — high quality
  12. plane — a tool
  13. charge — electricity
  14. hand — in cards
  15. chip — for betting
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. chip — to eat
  19. charge — a price
  20. file — a line of people
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. root — of a plant
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. root — the cause

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