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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 116 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: charge · chip · mug · ball · nail · dip · game · saw

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. charge — in control
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. saw — the tool
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. game — a match
  8. charge — electricity
  9. ball — a dance
  10. saw — the tool
  11. chip — to eat
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. game — wild animals
  14. chip — for betting
  15. mug — a cup
  16. charge — a price
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. mug — a face
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. dip — to sink
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. ball — a great time
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. mug — to rob

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