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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: chip · fall · date · mark · mug · spring · coach · charge

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. mark — a trace
  4. fall — the season
  5. spring — a coil
  6. chip — for betting
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. fall — to drop
  12. spring — of water
  13. charge — a price
  14. spring — the season
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. date — the fruit
  17. charge — electricity
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. fall — to drop
  20. mug — a cup
  21. mug — a face
  22. mug — to rob
  23. chip — to eat
  24. mark — a grade

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