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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: fine · charge · game · prune · chip · foot · land · face

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. fine — high quality
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. chip — for betting
  5. game — a match
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. charge — a price
  8. face — part of the head
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. face — to confront
  11. face — to point toward
  12. prune — to trim
  13. land — to come down
  14. charge — electricity
  15. game — wild animals
  16. prune — to trim
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. charge — in control
  19. land — ground
  20. fine — all right
  21. land — a country
  22. foot — a measure
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. prune — the fruit

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