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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: charge · chip · rush · scale · can · racket · stock · clip

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. can — a tin
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. clip — a video
  8. charge — electricity
  9. rush — hurry
  10. can — a tin
  11. charge — a price
  12. clip — for paper
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. scale — size or range
  15. chip — to eat
  16. stock — shares
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. scale — in music
  19. chip — for betting
  20. stock — goods
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. charge — in control
  23. clip — to cut
  24. rush — a thrill

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