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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 · shower · foot · chip · roll · staff · present · jam

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. present — there
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. foot — a measure
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. staff — employees
  10. present — the time now
  11. chip — to eat
  12. present — a gift
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. charge — a price
  15. charge — in control
  16. chip — for betting
  17. charge — electricity
  18. shower — rain
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. staff — employees
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. roll — a list
  23. staff — a stick
  24. shower — to wash

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