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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 112 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: chip · wind · bank · bore · game · charge

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. chip — to eat
  3. charge — in control
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. wind — moving air
  6. bank — for money
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. bore — to drill
  9. bank — of a river
  10. game — a match
  11. charge — electricity
  12. bank — for money
  13. charge — a price
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. game — wild animals
  17. bore — to tire
  18. chip — for betting

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