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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 · bay · fork · season · rash · march · lie · chip

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. chip — for betting
  3. charge — a price
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. chip — to eat
  6. march — the month
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. march — music
  9. rash — hasty
  10. lie — to recline
  11. charge — in control
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. season — in sport
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. fork — in a road
  17. season — of the year
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. rash — a series
  24. charge — electricity

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