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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 120 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: pop · charge · craft · last · kid · rush · fine · chair

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. craft — a skill
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. charge — a price
  7. craft — boats
  8. pop — to visit
  9. kid — to tease
  10. charge — in control
  11. fine — high quality
  12. rush — hurry
  13. last — final
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. chair — a leader
  17. pop — music
  18. pop — soda
  19. last — to go on
  20. charge — electricity
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. last — finally
  23. kid — child
  24. craft — a handicraft

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