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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 120 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: rash · stand · chip · kid · swing · charge · game · lean

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. chip — to eat
  3. charge — a price
  4. charge — electricity
  5. game — wild animals
  6. lean — thin
  7. swing — to play on
  8. rash — a series
  9. charge — in control
  10. chip — for betting
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. stand — to bear
  13. swing — in golf
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. kid — child
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. rash — hasty
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. lean — to bend
  21. game — a match
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. kid — to tease

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