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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: jam · charge · perch · last · chip · stock · kid · mark

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. kid — child
  5. perch — the fish
  6. charge — electricity
  7. stock — goods
  8. kid — to tease
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. last — to go on
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. stock — shares
  15. chip — for betting
  16. last — finally
  17. mark — a trace
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. charge — a price
  20. last — final
  21. chip — to eat
  22. charge — in control
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. jam — a tight spot

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